


siren song

by allechant



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: F/M, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 57,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23629237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allechant/pseuds/allechant
Summary: sometimes she thought that her boyfriend was too perfect to be human. and then she found out that he wasn't.
Relationships: Hatsune Miku/Kagamine Len
Comments: 14
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

"I can't date you."

She never thought it'd hurt so much to hear him say this. Len watched her, and she thought she saw a hint of regret in his electric blue eyes, but then again maybe she was just hoping too much for something that wouldn't come true.

"Do you…not like me?" she asked, unable to help herself. Her voice was trembling a little. Hopefully not enough that he could hear it too.

His eyes softened. "I could never hate you." He raised his hand, but it just hung in mid-air between them, indecisive. "It's not that I don't like you, Miku. But I have my reasons." And there it was again, the familiar guardedness falling over his face like a wall. He had a smile that never quite reached his eyes.

Kagamine Len was probably the most gorgeous person she had ever laid her eyes on. She'd never actually seen him on campus – which was pretty surprising, given how good-looking he was – until he joined their choir early this year.

He was a beautiful singer with an amazing voice, and he was fun to talk to as well. As the choir's welfare representative, she was the one who helped him settle in during his first week here, and she found it strangely easy to open up to him. Maybe it was his sense of humour, maybe it was his open-mindedness, or maybe it was just the way his shockingly blue eyes pierced her very soul, making it feel like he could read her mind.

Either way, they grew closer during that first week; they exchanged numbers, and before long they were hanging out regularly. She found out that their classes were on completely different days, which was why she'd never seen him around on campus. Though that made her an exception since most girls already knew who he was.

"Do you like someone else?" she asked, wringing her hands. She didn't want to hear the answer, but she _had_ to know – after all, Gumi and Luka were the ones who kept encouraging her to confess, claiming that he probably had feelings for her. Were they all wrong?

She hadn't misinterpreted his behaviour, right? Even now, she could see his gaze flit between her eyes and a little further down – her mouth. Unconsciously her tongue flicked out, wetting her bottom lip.

"No. It's not that." His voice was quiet. He looked at her and she felt like she couldn't breathe, those stunning eyes forcing her to bare her very soul to him. Something about him always made it so difficult to hide her true feelings.

"Then what is it?" Her voice was definitely shaking now. There was no way he couldn't hear it. Len sighed, and it was a long, heavy sound. One that didn't suit him at all.

"I made a promise a long time ago. That I would never get married." He smiled, and she thought she saw a flicker of pain in his eyes, but when she blinked it was gone. "And it's not fair to date you if nothing will come out of it. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't believe in dating for fun, you know?" His hand reached out again, but this time he brushed a few stray hairs away from her forehead. "Please give up on me, Miku. Find someone more deserving of your attention."

She didn't know what to say. He seemed so earnest, as though he genuinely believed he wasn't worthy of her feelings. Her heart was pounding in her chest, in her ears. Why couldn't he get married? What made him promise something like that? She wanted to ask, but she doubted he would answer her questions.

"We don't have to marry." The words slipped out of her mouth, and he stiffened. She could see him studying her, watching her every move, listening to her every word. "We can just – we can just date. And hang out and stuff. Be a couple. But we don't have to get married."

"Are you sure you'd be okay with that?" There was no humour in his eyes. It was a strange look to see on him – he was always smiling, always teasing, always reading with a jibe or some dumb joke. It was rare to see him so serious. "This isn't something to take lightly, Miku. I don't want you to have any regrets."

She met his gaze and nodded. "I won't have any regrets," she promised. He remained still for a few seconds, and she counted them as they ticked by. After five beats of her heart, he sighed again and pulled her towards him, his arms wrapping around her waist. She yelped, startled by the sudden gesture, and felt him burying his face in her hair.

"If that's what you want, then I'll give it to you." His voice was so quiet that she barely heard him despite their proximity. "I'll give you anything you ask for, but you have to promise me that you won't regret it. I don't want to make you sad."

"I promise I won't regret anything," she repeated, firmly this time. He withdrew, and their gazes met once more – she still couldn't quite see through the walls he put up, but this time she swore his smile looked a bit more genuine.

"Maybe you will. Let's see," he answered, his tone light and teasing, back to his usual ways. He released her and she stepped back, her cheeks flooding with warmth. "It'd be nice to go on a date, don't you think?" She nodded, and he grinned at her, his smile almost feline. "I'll text you later then. See you!"

With a casual wave, he turned around and walked away, and Miku continued to stay there, rooted to the spot. She turned the whole episode over in her mind, her heart still racing. Len was her boyfriend now. She wondered what would change between them.

* * *

It turned out that being a couple didn't lead to many changes. If anything, Len teased her more than usual. He'd always had a mischievous streak and even before this, he loved to tease her, but _now_ he was relentless.

"You're _so_ cute," he cooed, pinching her cheek as he licked at his ice cream cone. Miku swatted his hand away, a reflexive action by now, and he laughed, slinging his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. Her heart skipped a beat.

It'd been two months since she confessed to him, but even now seeing him still put butterflies in her stomach.

Back then, she decided to confront her feelings because her friends were sick of her moping over Len. She had been so afraid that telling him how she felt would ruin their friendship – he was the first person she looked out for when she went for choir practice, and she confided in him, telling him her dreams and hopes for the future.

Len also told her things sometimes, hinted at a past she would then wonder about – there was something about him, a strange feeling that she was talking to someone timeless. A boy who had ties to both the past and the future. He always had this faraway look in his eyes that seemed to cut through time and space, and occasionally it felt like he resided someplace far away. Somewhere she would never be able to reach.

"You know how you told me you grew up near the ocean?" she asked, turning towards him as she licked her cone, careful not to let the melting ice cream drip onto her skin. Len blinked, a look of surprise on his face as he nodded. "Do you miss it? The ocean, I mean. Since our campus is pretty much landlocked."

The walls slammed down, though his smile didn't change. "Yes, sometimes. But wouldn't anyone miss it? Staying on land is so boring. Did you know that humans are at least 70 per cent water? That's probably why we like the sea so much."

"Why don't you go back, then? Maybe I could go with you?" She averted her gaze, feeling strangely awkward. "It would be nice to see your hometown since we're dating now."

"No." His answer was firm, and she blinked, startled by his quick rejection. "Summer isn't a good time – there are too many typhoons. I don't think you'd be safe there."

He wasn't smiling at all, and his sudden defensiveness made her suspicious. Len usually didn't react strongly to _anything_ , with her being the sole exception since Len thought she was ridiculously adorable and had no qualms making that known.

"We don't have to go now. Maybe after summer is over?" She tried not to let her surprise show. His smile returned, though this time it looked a little strained.

"We'll see. Let's talk about it next time, okay? For now, your ice cream is melting." He grabbed her hand and met her gaze, his expression turning sly – when his tongue ran out over her skin, licking up the melted ice cream dripping onto her fingers, whatever they were discussing just moments ago was promptly forgotten.

* * *

"You're so _lucky_ that you're dating Kagamine Len." Gumi sighed, looking unfocused. Luka rolled her eyes and smacked their friend on her head, causing Gumi to glare at the other girl.

"Stop lusting over Miku's boyfriend," Luka scolded, and Gumi mumbled something about the unfairness of it all. Miku wasn't paying them much attention; she was distracted, thinking about something Len had said last night. The mere thought of it made heat rise to her cheeks, and she hoped Luka and Gumi wouldn't notice her blushing.

Last night was the first night she invited him into her room. Correction – it was the first time she invited him into her room _at night_. Typically he would come to her dorm to pick her up for their dates, but he never stayed long. Len lived off-campus at some apartment that was a half-hour's walk away, and she had yet to visit his house.

When she invited him in, she hadn't been thinking of anything in particular. She just wanted to show him a new piano score her talented younger brother, Mikuo, had composed. It had been 11 pm, still not _that_ late, and he was dropping her off at her room after their date.

She thought she saw his face turn a bit pink, but before she could point it out, he asked if she understood the implications of inviting a man inside her room at this hour. She didn't get it at that point, and Len brushed it off before she could question further.

Miku knew in hindsight that she was very naïve, but in her defence, Len was her first-ever boyfriend. She'd always been a bit of a dreamer and she never paid much attention to things, so the connotations of a girl and a boy together in a dark room at night flew right over her head. Plus, it wasn't like Len pounced on her or anything.

But last night was the first night they kissed after two entire months of dating. Not that they _never_ kissed before, but usually it was chaste. A quick peck on the cheek, on the lips – she felt like he was kissing his sister rather than his girlfriend sometimes. He was always careful not to touch her too much either, never going beyond hugs, holding hands and the occasional massage whenever her shoulders got too tense.

Until last night, when she showed him the score and he was studying it, his blond bangs hanging over his eyes – she realised how fortunate she was that he was together with her. Len, playful and teasing, sometimes distant, but also willing to sober up and pay attention to something deeply important to her. He never once said that he loved her, but she knew that he cared.

So, she reached over to him and kissed him on the cheek, just a quick, fleeting brush of her lips against his skin. He froze, and a few seconds later he turned towards her, something unreadable in his eyes. "You missed," he murmured, and she frowned before he pulled her closer and their mouths met, his hand twining in her hair. She forgot how to breathe, allowing him to gently take the lead in her first proper kiss – his lips were soft and warm, and she didn't resist as she felt him slowly pushing her onto the bed.

His touch, his warmth, the sudden _want_ in his eyes – all things that were both familiar and yet so new. For once, she could see his intentions, and she didn't protest when his hands played with the hem of her shirt, his fingers lingering on the thin fabric. Her arms wrapped around him as their kiss deepened, and he shifted his weight, pressing her into the mattress. The table on which she had been showing Mikuo's composition clattered onto the floor, forgotten.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered, peppering kisses down her jawline, her neck. She shook her head, her chest feeling ready to explode. She had never seen him so – so needy before. Like he _did_ want to touch her this badly. He groaned. "Miku…Miku, we can't." But even as he spoke his hands were inching up beneath her shirt, and she shifted slightly, allowing him greater access to her bare skin.

Len hissed, and she felt his hands slide over her stomach, stopping just short of her bra. She whimpered, craving the touch of his hand on her breasts, but he abruptly withdrew, his comforting weight suddenly disappearing. She blinked in surprise, turning towards her boyfriend – Len was standing very still, almost like a statue, and she would have thought him one if it wasn't for the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

"Miku, that went too far." He didn't seem upset, but he didn't sound too pleased either. "You're lucky I didn't lose control. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be nice and gentlemanly all the time? Especially now that I know how you taste…"

She pouted. "But maybe I _want_ you to lose control!" Part of her mind was filled with panic at the mere thought of what might happen, but the rest of her was just disappointed that he stopped when he did. "I-I…"

"I nothing." His tone left no room for objections. "Miku, you're _adorable_ , but you don't understand. I don't want to ruin you when we're not going to work out in the long-term. So we'll date, and we'll have fun, but we won't do anything like this again, okay? Not unless you're sure and you're ready."

"I'm sure and I'm ready!" she cried. He shot her a look, and her excitement died down a little. "Stop treating me like a kid," she mumbled instead, glancing away from him. Her shirt was still unkempt from his attentions, and she absentmindedly pulled it down to cover her stomach. "We're practically the same age. Maybe give or take a year."

His expression twisted for a second. "Yeah, but I have _much_ more experience than you." He tapped the side of his nose and winked, making her blush. "I know the look of someone who's in way over her head. Think about it. Are you truly ready? Can you touch your heart and say that you're willing to go all the way with me? Do you even understand what sex is?"

Her cheeks burnt when he brought up sex. He smirked. "I thought not. It's not that I'm treating you like a child, sweetheart." He patted her head as he spoke. "I just don't think you're ready, and you know I'm right too."

After another short exchange, he left her room, and that was everything that happened last night. She touched her mouth and swore she could still feel his warmth, the imprint of his lips upon hers. Then she blinked as she saw Gumi's hand waving in front of her.

"Hello, earth to Hatsune Miku?" Gumi snapped her fingers. " _So_ glad you could join us today! We were just talking about Yohio's birthday surprise. You know, the one you were supposed to help organise since you're the welfare representative?"

"Oh! Yes! I forgot," Miku admitted, looking down in shame. She had been super out of it ever since last night, at least more so than usual. Luka and Gumi exchanged a look.

"Miku, is something wrong? Did anything happen between you and Len?" Luka, ever the mature and responsible one, broached the topic first. Miku shook her head, though she was sure her face was blazing by now. Hearing Len's name just made her remember things, and she still wasn't sure how to deal with what happened. Why did it feel like everyone was being intimate with their boyfriends except her?

Maybe Len didn't like her enough. But that couldn't be, he seemed really into her last night too. At least until he pulled back and told her to stop. "I'm just wondering, guys. When did you both first…um, you know? Do the – do the…" Her voice trailed off, and she kept her gaze fixed on her lap. Gumi and Luka exchanged another look.

"Do the sex?" Gumi helpfully supplied. Miku squeaked and nodded, still refusing to look at her friends. "Is that what happened between you and Len, Miku?" Gumi gasped. "Did you two have _sex_? Come on, you need to share all the details with us –"

"Just shut up, Gumi," Luka cut in, sounding cross. "But Miku, why the sudden question? Did you and Len sleep together?" Miku shook her head again. "Then why are you asking this all of a sudden? It's just…it's very unlike you to think about such things."

"Um…" Miku swallowed. Her throat felt dry. "We didn't do… _that_ …but we did, um, we did kiss." The words spilt from her mouth, almost incomprehensible. "And there was, um, there was some touching involved, but that was it. We didn't do anything else!"

"Touching!" Gumi waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Miku's face was on fire now. "Where did he touch? Your boobs? Your butt? Or…is it where I'm thinking of?" Gumi snickered, and she wondered if talking about this had been a bad idea.

"No! Just – um, he went under my shirt, but that's it. He didn't touch my boobs or anything like that," she confessed. Gumi let out a long, dramatic sigh and flopped into her chair, muttering something about let-downs. Luka rolled her eyes again, caring little for Gumi's horny curiosity.

"Then why are you asking about sex? Did Len pressure you?" Luka asked, her brow furrowed. Miku said no. She was beginning to calm down now that she had shared what was on her mind. But she had no idea how to bring up to her friends her frustration at Len's lack of…well, to put it simply, willingness to sleep with her. Why was he suddenly being nice? It was so unlike him.

"I, um, I kind of wanted more, but he said no. He said I wasn't ready." She sighed. Luka and Gumi blinked in unison. "He said I don't understand anything at all, so…so he doesn't think that we should do anything more than our usual hugs and stuff. But I don't want to just hug my boyfriend! I'm not a child that he needs to look after!"

Luka nodded. "I see. You want to scratch an itch, but Len won't scratch it for you." Her clear blue eyes simmered with knowing mischief, and it looked rather out of place on Luka – after all, among the three of them, Gumi was usually the one who cooked up elaborate schemes while Luka attempted to talk them all out of going along with Gumi's plans.

Miku nodded, albeit grudgingly – it was still embarrassing for her to think about it. "Why don't you go to his apartment and surprise him, then? We should go shop for some sexy lingerie! And when you start stripping in front of him, well, let's see who can resist _that_ ," Gumi declared, jumping up from her chair.

"No! No, I can't do that!" Miku spluttered. "That's too embarrassing!" But Gumi, and even Luka, cajoled and persuaded until she finally gave in and went with them to a lingerie shop.


	2. Chapter 2

She vaguely recalled Len's address – he had offhandedly mentioned the street he lived on once, before chuckling and telling her that his apartment was pretty distinctive.

He certainly wasn't lying. Miku gazed up at the building – it wasn't super tall or anything, probably around ten stories high, but the walls were blindingly white, with creeper plants twining up part-way around the sides of the apartment. She had to wonder how they kept the walls so very, very…clean. There was no speck of dirt or grey to be seen.

The building itself was segregated from the rest of the street by a giant courtyard. There were wrought iron gates preventing people from entering, though she tried giving them a little push and was surprised to see that they opened without much resistance. The gates themselves were extremely intricate – she could see fish, waves and other aquatic creatures moulded into the design. It was beautiful, practically a work of art in itself.

Two statues flanked the doorway. One was a dolphin, the other a shark, both sculptures astoundingly lifelike. They were pretty big too, towering over her as she approached the entrance. She could swear their eyes were following her, and she shivered, a little creeped out. Glancing at them again, she noticed the blank marble eyes were still fixed straight ahead and assured herself that she was just overthinking things. To be fair, she was pretty nervous.

The doors were made of glass, framed with black iron. They automatically opened as she neared them, and she stepped into the lobby of the apartment. It was a grand lobby, all modern and tasteful gold, with minimalistic chandeliers, a plush red carpet, and a bored receptionist sitting at the front desk. She blinked. It looked more like a hotel than a residential building.

The receptionist was chewing gum, and as Miku watched, she blew and popped a bubble. Her eyes bored into Miku, who felt a little intimidated. Len never really told her much about his family background or anything, just that he grew up near the seaside and he had a twin sister. He probably could have mentioned that his family was rich or something. This certainly was not the student-rented apartment she had been imagining.

Beckoning Miku closer, the receptionist sized her up, her stare cold. Miku fidgeted, wondering if this was normal. She felt like she was being judged. Then again, she probably looked very out of place, standing in such an opulent lobby. "And who are you here to visit?" the receptionist drawled, blowing yet another bubble.

"Kagamine…Len," she stumbled over his name, the words sounding foreign on her tongue. The receptionist's eyes widened a little, and she saw the woman straighten in her chair, placing both hands on the table. "Is he, um, is he home now?"

"As his visitor, shouldn't you know?" The receptionist raised an eyebrow. Miku just felt even more self-conscious. It wasn't like she had expected any of this. Going along with Gumi and Luka's suggestion suddenly seemed like a bad idea. "It is not possible to seek an audience with him as and when you wish. I will need to know the specifics of your appointment."

"Oh, don't worry, she's with me." A breezy voice rang through the lobby, echoing off the gilded walls. Miku whipped around, searching for the source of the unfamiliar voice – she saw a girl walking in through the front doors, a girl who somehow reminded her of Len, with a distinct gleam in her bright blue eyes. "I told you not to just wander in by yourself!" she scolded as she reached Miku, placing one delicate hand on her shoulder.

Miku was pretty sure she had never seen this girl before in her life, but if she was helping her out of a sticky situation, then she wouldn't question things. "Sorry! I kind of got lost while looking for this place," she answered, a half-truth. She did wander around for a bit before she found the right street – she had never been great at following directions.

The girl tutted. "Well, now you know she's with me, so you'll let us in, correct?" she addressed the receptionist, who nodded. She gestured at the sleek barrier behind her, which Miku now noticed led to the elevator, and the strange girl tugged on Miku's hand, pulling her out of the lobby. The receptionist turned her head and stared at them as they walked past her.

"Thank you so much for your help!" Miku spoke as soon as they were safely behind the barrier and waiting for the elevator. "I don't know what else I would have done – I didn't have an appointment or anything," she admitted. The thought of needing an _appointment_ to see her boyfriend was ridiculous. The girl smiled.

"No problem. I think I know who you are." She exhaled. "You'll be wanting the basement, yes?"

Miku frowned. The basement? She hadn't been thinking of anything like the basement. She was pretty sure Len lived in one of the higher floors, but she couldn't remember which one exactly. She had been hoping the receptionist would be able to tell her that before she was informed that she needed an _appointment_.

"The basement?" she echoed. There was a tinge of unease making itself known in her chest. The girl nodded, her smile never changing. "That's where Len will be?"

The girl gave her a strange look. "Of course. Where else would he be?" She paused. "Ah, I forgot. My name is Kagamine Rin. I'm his sister. I don't think we've met, but…well, there was never a need to introduce myself before. Sorry." Her smile widened.

Miku cocked her head, confused by her statement, but she didn't ask further questions, distracted by the realisation that this was Len's twin sister. No wonder she looked so very, very similar to Len. "Do you study at the same school as Len? I've never seen you around," Miku blurted out. Maybe she could find out more about his family from her.

Rin laughed, stepping into the elevator as its doors opened. Miku followed suit, and Rin pressed the button for the lowest floor. The doors closed quietly, and they began their descent, so smooth that it felt like they weren't moving at all. "No, of course not. Why would I go to school? I can see why you might not be aware of that, however. Len has been behaving strangely in recent years."

They had to be on different wavelengths because Miku had no idea what Rin was talking about. The air in the elevator was getting colder, and Miku shivered, wondering just how far down the basement was. It had probably been an entire minute since they first got into the elevator, and there was no sign of the trip stopping anytime soon.

But right as she thought that the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing a large chamber. Miku gaped, surprised at the view before her. She had thought it would be some dingy hallway or maybe an underground cave or something, but instead, the place looked very…well, _different_. The room was huge, with a path leading directly from the elevator to a stone platform in the middle of the chamber. The path was lined with braziers that burned with a blue flame. Despite the fires, the room was freezing – she could see her breath misting as she exhaled. Little bumps were forming on her skin.

The platform, though large, also somehow looked rather tiny – it was little more than a small island in a vast lake, for the chamber was entirely flooded. "Go on, wait inside. Len will come down in a while. And one word of advice – I wouldn't look into the water if I were you. Let me go tell him that his new bride has arrived." Rin waved at Miku, pushing her out of the elevator and closing the doors. Miku stumbled out onto the stone path and immediately turned, trying to get back into the elevator, but the button didn't seem to be working.

With a sigh, she rubbed her hands along her bare arms, hoping to generate enough friction to warm herself up. The chill was tolerable but certainly uncomfortable. This was not what she had expected when she agreed to the stupid lingerie plan. She remembered what Rin said about his 'new bride' and wondered what she meant by that.

New bride? She was Len's _girlfriend_ , yes, but bride she most certainly was not. Her cheeks warmed at the thought. She never dared to think about something like that, since the very first thing he told her about their relationship was that they would never get married. Of course, she did very much want to marry him, but she figured that if she admitted that, she could forget about even having a romantic relationship with him, let alone a potential wedding. Didn't Len make a promise that he'd never get married?

So, why was his sister referring to Miku as his bride? Unless she meant somebody else? She bit her lip, turning the thought over in her head. Who knew? Maybe Len _did_ have a bride tucked away somewhere. He seemed rich, and rich people were all about arranged marriages and stuff, right? Wait, did that mean she was the third party here?

Deciding not to dwell on that, she tried to push down the nerves in her stomach and continued walking forward, watching the dancing blue flames. No heat radiated from the fires, and experimentally, she held a hand closer to one of the braziers. There was nothing. No warmth whatsoever.

She frowned. Strange, because she remembered learning before that white-blue flames were significantly hotter than the usual orange-red ones. Maybe the fires were fake? They all looked so real, though.

Rin's warning about not looking into the water danced around the back of her mind. It was tempting to disregard the warning. She glanced at the still waters around her, taking furtive peeks out of the corners of her eyes. It looked clear and harmless enough, but she wondered if something was lurking in those depths. How deep were those waters, exactly? What could be hiding within that was so dangerous, she needed to be explicitly told to avoid it? Her curiosity was making her itch. She took a deep breath.

She had reached the stone platform. Now that she was here, she could see a faint, square-shaped imprint on the ground. Maybe something had been removed from it. A pillar, or a table? She couldn't tell. The platform was empty otherwise.

There was nothing else to look at, and Rin and Len still weren't here yet, so she was quickly getting bored. The water around her seemed to ripple, as though it sensed her increasing restlessness, and she glanced at it again – no, it was as still as ever, but she felt drawn to its calmness. Her feet itched to bring her to the edge of the platform, just so she could take a quick peek at what lay underneath. Treasure? Dead bodies? It could be anything.

Maybe just a quick look wouldn't hurt. A very quick one. Just a second. Miku gnawed on her lip, still half-consciously rubbing her arms to keep warm. If Len and Rin still weren't here within the next two minutes, then she would give in to her impulses and sneak a peek.

The seconds passed by agonisingly slowly. When Miku finally counted to 120, she exhaled in relief – neither of the blond twins was here yet. The elevator showed no sign of moving. Hurrying over to the side of the platform, she looked down, holding her breath as she tried to make out whatever lay below. The water swirled and at first, she saw nothing special – just her reflection staring eagerly back at her.

Disappointment surged within her, but then something flickered, and she turned, trying to find the source of movement. She moved towards the right, where she was sure she saw the thing, whatever it was. She didn't have to stare too hard to find it – once she located the source of the movement, she gasped, kneeling to take a closer look.

Deep within the waters, she saw…figures. Small people, moving around. They didn't seem to notice her looming over them. Ghostly, incorporeal shapes – made out of seafoam? Yet when she looked at those vague representations of people, she saw within her mind's eye features clear as day. The visions took her by surprise, blooming into her head from nowhere. She could see this very same chamber, but this time with a throne in the middle of the stone platform, where she recalled seeing that square-shaped imprint just now.

The throne was made of white rock. Dead coral? She wasn't sure. It was an ornate throne, beautiful to behold. A boy lounged on the throne as people knelt before him, their heads bowed. The boy, who was holding a trident, yawned and beckoned to the people to rise. Miku realised with a jolt that the boy was _Len_. But he looked – she didn't recognise him at first because he looked so very, very different from how he did now.

For one thing, his hair was long. She was used to seeing his hair barely touching his chin – it was just about long enough for him to tie a short ponytail, but that was it. This Len's golden hair was done up in a loose, messy braid, and even then, it was long enough to reach slightly past his waist. His hair was threaded through with pearl strands. She knew this boy was Len for she recognised his features, but that was where all other resemblance stopped.

"Which one today?" he asked. His voice was different too. Distant, cold – she couldn't imagine him making jokes or teasing people. She shuddered. This Len sounded like he was business only, his tone clipped, his words short. Someone approached him, one of the people who had been kneeling moments ago – they lowered their hood, and Miku saw an attractive young woman bowing her head, clasping her hands behind her back.

Miku couldn't be sure from this distance, but the woman looked like she was trembling. From fear? Len didn't say anything, but she could hear hissing. She looked around the room and realised heads were surfacing from the water surrounding the platform, beautiful men and women, all with long hair and fair skin. They were watching the proceedings, but neither Len nor the others on the platform paid them any attention.

"Are you sure? This is what you wish for?" Len asked, drawing everyone's attention back to him. The woman nodded, and Miku was sure now that she was shivering.

"Please give us the blessing of the sea, and provide us safe travel," a man's voice boomed. The others were all still cloaked, so Miku couldn't tell which person within the group had spoken, but he sounded weary. "We present to you our offering, the chief's daughter, to be your bride. In return, all we seek is good fortune and fair weather on our voyage."

Len nodded. He didn't look particularly pleased nor upset – it reminded Miku of when they stopped kissing last night; when she couldn't quite get a read on whether Len enjoyed what they did. "Thank you for the offering. You will get what you seek. And now you have obtained what you came for, leave and tell not another soul what happened here."

The group immediately turned and hurried down the platform. Miku observed that instead of an elevator, there was a set of steps carved into the wall, leading out of the chamber. It made her wonder how long ago this was. Was this a vision? A memory? Was the boy sitting on the throne Len, or was this some alternate reality? She couldn't tell.

The woman who revealed herself stayed behind, and the people in the waters hissed again in unison, some of them beginning to climb onto the stone platform. Before they could get up, however, Len slammed his trident against the ground, the sound ringing loudly through the chamber. The water beings stopped. "You have one night." Len addressed the woman, who just fisted the material of her cloak, staring right back at him.

Miku had to admire her beauty. She looked like an actress, with her high cheekbones, large eyes with thick lashes, her full, pouty lips. She looked _womanly_. More so than her, at least.

"I understand, my liege." She paused, and Len cocked his head. "My…husband." It seemed like she was testing the word on her tongue. The water people laughed, and it sounded more like a reptilian hiss than anything – Len didn't react, getting up from the throne and walking towards the woman instead. One hand reached out to touch the woman's chin, tipping her head, and he studied her. The woman didn't move.

"I wish you nothing but good fortune," he said, allowing his hand to drop to his side. "For tonight, you will share my room, and we will see by tomorrow what your fate will be." He beckoned, and the woman fell obediently into step behind him. Instinctively, Miku shifted out of the way to allow them to pass, though she guessed he would have passed right through her anyway.

But Len's gaze darted to her and she gasped, recoiling in surprise. Len came to an abrupt halt, and dread filled her chest.

"Who are you?" he asked, cold blue eyes resting on her. Miku swallowed and looked around, hoping to see something to inspire her – she realised then that the rest of the room was frozen, and the only people moving were her and Len. Even the woman who had been following him was frozen mid-stride, her gaze wide as she stared at his back, her lips parted. There was a faint blush on her porcelain cheeks. "Answer me, wench."

Len's voice dragged her attention back to him. He didn't look pleased. She swallowed, a thick lump in her throat. "I'm – you know who I am!" She didn't know why, but she felt defensive. Maybe it was related to seeing some random woman calling Len her _husband_. He told her that he made a promise to never get married! What was this?

"No. I don't." His tone was flat, and it took all the defensiveness out of her. She could tell this wasn't a joke – there was no trace of amusement on his face. He was as handsome as ever, but without the familiar glint of mischief in his eyes, Len looked like a sculpture. A perfect, beautiful statue, completely devoid of life. "You should start explaining yourself, mortal. No human can reach these chambers without my permission. You have one chance."

Mortal? He called her _mortal_. Like he wasn't. There was a sudden, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was he not human? What had she gotten herself into?

"We met in school, remember? And you joined our choir? Then I confessed to you and everything? I wanted to surprise you by visiting your apartment since you're always coming to my dorm. If I knew it would be such a bad time, then I wouldn't have disturbed!" she explained.

Len was still looking at her with that inscrutable look on his face. "I don't understand what you're talking about," he answered. "But it doesn't matter even if you want to take this lightly. I have no use for you." He turned, snapping his fingers, and the water beings unfroze, watching him. Len gave her another glance, this one cold and uncaring. "Enjoy your dinner for tonight," he said. "Clean up when you're done."

He continued to walk down the passageway, the woman still trailing obediently after him, and Miku backed away as the water people began to climb onto the platform, most of them grinning eagerly at her. It was hard to think of them as beautiful when they had such sharp canines, the light of the braziers making their teeth gleam. She felt her back hit a wall and she looked around to realise there was an invisible wall preventing her from getting to the stairs. Len and the woman were already leaving the chamber, and she pounded on the unseen barrier, screaming for help, trying to break through – something, anything.

It didn't work. The people drew closer – out of the water, they were clad in thin white clothes that left very little to the imagination. Their semi-nudity made her uncomfortable, but not as much as their fingers did, their nails so sharp that they were practically talons. Some of them were salivating as they approached, reminding her of predators closing in for the kill. Then again, that was precisely what they were – they wanted to _eat_ her. Was she going to die here? She couldn't die, not now. She was too young!

"Len!" she screamed, a last-ditch effort to save herself from certain death. They were too close now. Any moment and one of them would pounce on her and probably rip her throat out. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the onslaught of pain – but then a firm hand grabbed her wrist from behind, and she found herself being yanked through the barrier, pulled up, up, a saviour rescuing her from drowning.

She gasped, her head breaking the surface, and she realised dimly that she _was_ in the water. "Get onto the platform." She heard a terse voice, familiar and strained – she glanced around, one hand wiping her eyes clean, and saw Len looking back at her, a thunderous expression on his face. His hair was back in its usual short ponytail now, nothing like the long braid he sported just moments ago.

When she didn't move, more out of shock than anything else, he sighed and dragged her out, hoisting her onto the platform as though she weighed no more than a feather. The flames in the braziers flickered, and she shivered, the cold slapping her awake – now that she was soaked, the chill seemed to pierce into her very bones. She didn't know she had fallen into the water. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Miku shook her head, teeth chattering. Her clothes were dripping, multiple rivulets flowing back into the moat surrounding them. That was something she would answer later – first, she needed to find out what was going on. There were too many questions swirling around in her head.

"You're not human, are you?" she asked, surprised that her voice was steady despite the way her teeth clattered. He didn't answer, and she took that as an invitation to continue. "If you're not human, then…what in the world are you?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you sure you want to know?" Len's answer startled her. She didn't know what else she had expected. Maybe the truth, or some explanation, some sort of denial – not a choice. Not like this. Len combed her sopping fringe away from her forehead, watching her.

"Tell me." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. Len sighed and stood, reaching a hand towards her – she grasped his hand, using it as support to pull herself up. His skin was warm and smooth, which confused her because she was very sure he had been in the water with her. He pulled her out of those depths, so why was he completely dry?

"Let's get you somewhere warm. You need to dry off before you catch a cold," he said, placing one hand on the small of her back as he steered her down the stone path, towards the elevator. Miku was shivering the whole time, but she turned her head and stared at the still waters again, the memories fresh and vivid in her mind. She recalled the gleam of those sharp canines and another sort of chill ran down the length of her spine.

"Your sister directed me here," she mumbled when they were in the elevator, and Len had pressed the button for the tenth floor. Len raised an eyebrow at that, glancing at her – she couldn't read the expression on his face. "Kagamine Rin, right? She said she's your sister and she told me to come to the basement. She said she would let you know I was here."

"Yes, she did tell me. And if she let me know just a moment later, who knows what might have happened to you." Len shook his head. "Didn't you listen to her when she told you not to look into the water? It's not an empty warning, you know."

"I was curious," she admitted. Len snorted but didn't make any other comment. There was a ding, and the elevator doors opened again – this time, she stepped into a short hallway that led into what looked like a living room. "This _is_ your house this time, right?" She checked, just to be sure. "Not some weird, creepy place that's going to kill me."

"Why would I want to kill you?" he asked. Honestly speaking, after the experience she just had, she couldn't be a hundred per cent sure about that. Len with the long braid seemed pretty okay with leaving her to die. "Let's get you something to wear. I think Rin still has some of her spare things lying around. Might be a little short on you, but it's better than staying in those wet clothes." Len led her down the hallway, and she gaped at the living space she stepped into – all glass and white walls and artfully placed potted plants.

Len's living room was probably any homeowner's dream – bright light shone through the large glass windows, filtering past the gauzy curtains, giving everything a gentle glow. Statement art pieces hung around the room, pops of colour against the white walls. She heard the faint sounds of trickling water and noticed a simple water feature next to the balcony. The furniture was mostly made from dark wood, though he had some chairs that looked like they were woven from bamboo. Overall, the place looked minimalistic, but it was nice. She would love to live here.

There was a fluffy white fur rug underneath her feet, and she felt a bit guilty about dirtying it with all this water dripping off her. "Don't worry about it," was all he said when she voiced her concern. "This way." He continued leading her through the room, and they turned into another hallway – he opened one of the doors and she saw what appeared to be a guest room. The entire place was blue, with navy wallpaper and a pastel bed, perfectly made. Even the wardrobe and dresser were blue. "There are clothes here. Take what you need and come back to the living room when you're done."

Then he closed the door and she was left alone in the room, still shivering from the cold. Glad to have a chance to change out of her wet clothing, she opened the wardrobe, still self-conscious about the little puddles she was leaving all over the hardwood floor. There were a few shirts and skirts in the wardrobe, and like Len mentioned the skirts all looked a tad bit short, but they would do.

Poking around a little more, she found a few towels in the topmost shelf and a few packets of disposable panties in one of the drawers. At least she didn't have to stay in her wet undies. Quickly peeling everything off, she blushed as she remembered the surprise she had planned – her lingerie, specially chosen for this occasion, was ruined now. She winced as she pulled them off her, hiding them within the wet pile. Then she towelled herself dry and put the fresh clothes on, choosing a white shirt and a grey skirt.

She couldn't find a bra to wear, but she figured this would have to do. Managing to find a few laundry bags in the same drawer where the disposable panties were, she stuffed her wet clothes into the bag and tied a knot, glad to stick the lingerie out of sight. It would be embarrassing if Len found out _now_ about her plan.

Miku paused as she finished tying the knot. All this just because she couldn't keep herself in check. Gumi and Luka wouldn't have pushed her to do this if she didn't admit she was – well, she was curious. And that she wanted more from Len. She sighed. No wonder people always told kids to remain chaste and not have sex. Look at what happened.

Deciding to leave the laundry bag in the room, she closed the door behind her and looked down the hallway. Len was in the living room, reclining on his sofa in a way that reminded her eerily of the other Len – the Len who had been lounging on his throne, holding on to a trident, his gaze impassive. Were they the same person? It had to be, yet somehow, they felt so different from each other, like two entirely separate entities.

"Hey, you're done," he greeted her. "Rin stepped out for a while, but she'll be back later. She says sorry for her mistake – she thought I asked you to come." Len smiled, but as always, it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Come here, take a seat." He patted the spot beside him, and hesitantly, she did as he said. "So, why the sudden visit?"

"I just – I just wanted to come and say hello," she answered, stumbling over her words. "You're always visiting me at my dorm, so I thought for once I could switch things up and drop by your place instead. Since well, you never told me I _couldn't_ …"

"Yeah, I didn't say you couldn't come over. Would have appreciated a little heads-up though," he muttered. Miku wrung her hands, hoping that she hadn't done something to mess up their relationship. It was a stupid mistake. She should never have tried to surprise him. "I'm just glad you're safe. You could have died back there, you know."

"I'm aware," she mumbled. Once again, the memory of those salivating faces, the sharp teeth, sent another shudder through her. "What was that? Who were those people? And I know I saw _you_ , Len. You spoke to me. But you didn't know who I was."

"Yes. He wouldn't have known." Len met her gaze, reaching out to run the back of his hand against her face. "You little fool. You really went in there with no idea what you were doing, didn't you?" he sighed. "Please tell me what you saw."

She did as he asked, describing the whole scene in detail. His face never changed as he listened to her talk, but she noticed his eyes darken when she mentioned the other Len's response to her, and what happened after he left the chamber. "I see. That's very informative, thank you." She expected him to start explaining then, but he didn't say another word, and she wondered how she should open this can of worms.

"That was you, wasn't it?" she began, thinking this was probably the easiest question to ask right now. "But it was another you. Some kind of…I don't know, alternate reality or a vision or something. He looked just like you, but you sound nothing alike."

He nodded. "That's me. From the past." His eyes took on a faraway kind of look, one she had seen before on occasion. The expression that made him look so timeless, a man who had neither past nor future. "It was a long time ago. So long that I can barely remember. Before I had the throne torn down; before I locked my trident away."

She was surprised that he didn't deny it or try to make up some excuse. A Len from the past? So, everything she had seen – it wasn't just some hallucination? Len noticed her confusion. "Rin said not to look into the water because it stores my memories. Watching them will suck you into their world, whether you want it or not." He hesitated. "But more importantly, any wound suffered there will be mirrored in the real world. You die, and that's it. There's no coming back."

Miku gaped at him. " _What_?" she exclaimed. None of this was making any sense. Memories – it sounded like she had been trapped in some kind of nightmare dreamscape, but when Len said that dying in there was the same as dying in the real world, she realised with a sinking feeling just how close she had come to never seeing her friends again.

"Yes. You die." His response was matter-of-fact; they could have been talking about the weather. "That's why you were told not to look in there. Those memories, they have sentience. They're little worlds of their own. You can change time, the past – you can create new worlds and realities. All the Lens in there are conscious. It's not just some movie playing on a big screen."

"But they didn't notice I was there at first," she answered, her mind racing. She couldn't grasp the full extent of what he was saying. None of it made any sense. She already had the inkling that Len wasn't quite human, but this went far beyond anything she had been imagining.

"As a visitor from another time, you have the same level of presence as furniture, or a faceless stranger on the street. The inhabitants of the memory won't even realise you're there unless you move or speak. But they can still hurt you even if they don't see you." He shrugged. "You're fortunate. Nothing I left in those waters is pretty, let's leave it at that."

A shadow fell over his gaze, and Miku wondered but decided not to probe. He continued speaking. "Humans think that time is linear, but it's not. It shifts and it changes, like sand. You could alter the past if you knew how."

"Have you ever tried?" she asked. He didn't answer the question, gazing past her with an unfocused look on his face – she turned to where he was staring at, but it was just the blank wall. "What _are_ you, Len?" she asked instead, unable to avoid the question any longer.

His attention snapped back to her. "Me?" He paused. "You know, if I told you who I really am, you would probably want to break up with me." He laughed, but it sounded a little nervous. "I won't blame you for wanting to leave, but I hope you won't just run away from me, even at school. We can still be friends after this, right?"

He sounded so hopeful. Miku's heart thudded. "I won't break up with you, no matter what," she promised – perhaps a bit recklessly, but she knew she was in love with this boy, person, whatever he was, and she wasn't about to leave just because he was kind of…different.

"You'll regret saying that." He shook his head, and Miku was abruptly reminded of when she confessed to him; when he made her promise that she wouldn't have any regrets. He reached for her hand, gripping it tight. "We'll need to take a quick history lesson. Or mythology, depending on how you look at it. Do you know any stories about mermaids? The ethereal women of the sea."

Miku nodded, unsure where he was going with this. Was he about to say he was a mermaid? Because she was pretty sure mermaids were all female. At least, that was what the stories made it sound like. Len hesitated. When he next continued, his voice was shaky.

"The mermaids came first. They were beings forged from nightmares. Beautiful women, half-fish, half-human, they sprang to life from seafoam and lust, the perversions of men who yearned for a lover's embrace while stranded in the ocean." His voice, though tremulous, still had that beautiful, almost lullaby-like quality that made him such a dream to listen to. "Most of them died young. As a race, mermaids were not meant to live long. They were creatures of fancy, after all. But some of them didn't want that."

Miku suddenly shivered. She didn't know why, but his eyes were boring into hers now, so intense that she was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. She forced herself to straighten and pay attention, allowing his electric blue gaze to pierce the very depths of her being.

"They sought a way to achieve immortality. They prayed to the god of the ocean. And after years, decades, centuries of prayer, the god finally granted them their wish. He selected a few of the most devout and had them bear his children – the ones who survived past infancy were not mermaids. Godly blood flowed in their veins. They were sirens, and they craved human flesh."

Sirens. She had heard of such beings from Greek mythology. Women with the most beautiful, heart-wrenching voices, who sang to sailors on passing ships and lured them to their rocky island so they could devour them.

"The sirens were few but strong. Like mermaids, they did not need men to bear children, and most of their offspring were female. But rarely, a male siren would be born. Males were seen as the direct descendants of the ocean god, with the divine powers to match. The strongest among them always served as their king."

As Len spoke, she was slowly beginning to put the pieces together. Male sirens. An ocean god. The trident that Len held, a common symbol of the sea. The coral throne. Her stomach was starting to churn. Sirens ate people. Those people in the memory, the ones who came out of the water – the ones who had wanted to eat her. "You're a male siren, aren't you?" she whispered, everything clicking together. Len just stared at her. "You're the son of a sea god. And probably the king of the sirens as well. Right?"

"Are you scared of me?" he asked, not denying her guess. She didn't know what to say. It was one thing to know that her boyfriend wasn't mortal. It was another thing to realise that he was completely inhuman and that he had probably eaten people before. She recalled the woman who was following Len in that memory, the way her family seemed so resigned, the way the other sirens – she was guessing those were sirens too – had been excited by her presence. Did that woman get eaten by Len the next day?

It gave a very, very different meaning to what Len said yesterday. About how it was hard for him to control himself now that he knew how she tasted. Her heart was palpitating, the little hairs on her arms and neck rising. Her feet felt really cold. "Are you going to eat me too?"

"Don't be stupid. You're my girlfriend. I'm not going to eat you." Len dismissed her fears instantly, but he looked at her and she saw his gaze soften. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I won't let any of my brethren lay a single finger on you. And, well…I haven't tasted human flesh in a long time. It's been a few centuries. I think."

The fact that Len just casually admitted he had eaten people before, no matter how long ago that had been, was not helping. Miku gulped. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but…she was afraid. No, beyond afraid. She was terrified. "I'm not sure if there's much difference between a wife and a girlfriend. That girl I saw in your memories – what happened to her? She was your wife, right? You married her and everything?"

He nodded. "I marry all the women I'm offered. It's part of the deal." He shrugged. "As one of the sea gods, I help ensure ships can find safe passage. Normally by not unleashing my pets on them." He saw her face. "Miku, the world back then was a dangerous place. We were supposed to punish the mortals for their hubris. I'm not like that anymore. Plus, I did do _some_ good things."

"Did that require the sacrifice of more women?" she questioned, her tone sharp. She couldn't help herself. He winced, looking hurt by her words, and she almost felt regret for what she said but then she remembered that he had eaten people before, and that memory Len could very well have eaten her too. "What happened after you married her? Didn't you make a promise to never marry?"

He exhaled. "Let me explain one thing. I was _never_ interested in marrying those girls. Why would I? I'm immortal, but they're not. Does that make sense to you?" he asked. She didn't answer, but he carried on anyway. "I had the interests of the mortals at heart. I thought it would be better for them to send us an occasional sacrifice rather than allow my sirens to run amok through their settlements. And to help them feel better, I declared that if their sacrifice could convince me of her capabilities, I would make her my queen. Otherwise…well, you can probably guess."

"And people still went along with it?" she asked, aghast. This was horrifying. She knew that the old myths were generally brutal, but it was one thing to read about them and another thing to listen to a first-hand account. Len shrugged again.

"You have to understand how important sea travel was. And how fickle-minded the ocean could be." He sighed. "Of course, I don't expect you to know since travel is so convenient nowadays. But back then, incurring the wrath of the gods could very well mean your last voyage. Humans did whatever they could to appease their gods." He studied her, concern in his gaze. "I didn't ever want you to find out. You mean a lot to me. But…I don't hold you to what you said. If you want to leave, then I won't stop you."

"I need time," she blurted out. "I don't…I don't know, Len. This is an awful lot to take in at once. It's weird enough to hear you admit we're not even the same species, but to know that you _eat_ people – I'm not sure. I'm confused." Wondering if this was all a dream, she pinched herself and winced at the sting – no, it didn't feel like a dream.

He nodded. "I understand." There was sadness in his eyes, which made her wonder _why_ he had chosen to date her – based on what she was hearing and what she had seen, when it came to female companions, Len was spoilt for choice. She thought she was pretty enough, but her looks paled in comparison to the sirens, or even to those human women sent to be his brides. And if Len was not satisfied with his previous brides, then how did she know she wouldn't meet the same fate? She was only his girlfriend, after all.

"Did any of those brides that sacrificed themselves to you – um, did any of them…end up _not_ being eaten?" she asked, just for her sanity's sake. He didn't say anything, which implied enough on its own, and she thought she had gotten her answer. But then suddenly he nodded and Miku blinked, surprised. "Wait. Someone managed to survive?"

"You must be tired. Let me send you home." He got up from the sofa, refusing to meet her gaze. She considered being stubborn and staying here until he finally responded, but realised she was simply too tired to see through that. Again, he reached towards her, and hesitantly she allowed him to help her up. "Could you give me an answer by tomorrow afternoon?" he asked, rubbing his thumb in slow circles over the back of her hand. His touch was soothing, and she could feel her body relaxing into him.

Yes, he was a mythical creature who ate people. Yes, she was scared. But at the same time, she…she _liked_ him. And even now, she still did. Her mind was filled with panic, but her body certainly knew what it wanted. "I'll try my best," she answered, and he smiled in response. Her heartbeat quickened again, and this time it wasn't from fear.


	4. Chapter 4

Miku went back inside the guest room to pick up her laundry bag. When she came out again, she noticed that Len had fixed his gaze on the ceiling and for some reason, he seemed very uncomfortable about looking anywhere below face level.

"You're going to just head out like that?" he asked when she shouldered her laundry bag and waved goodbye. Miku blinked. Was there something wrong with what she wore? She would admit that the skirt was short since it belonged to his sister. But she thought it was a rather cute outfit, actually – a simple white shirt with a V-neck collar and pretty embroidery, and a ruffled grey skirt. Miku had done her best to dry her wet loafers with a hairdryer, and the shoes were still kind of damp, but it was the best she could do.

"Yeah, I think it's a cute outfit. You don't think so?" she asked, frowning down at her skirt. Was it really that indecent? It was around mid-thigh, just a little shorter than her usual length, but she thought it was still acceptable. It wasn't like she was going to work or something. She could hail a cab if she wanted to avoid any stares.

"No, I agree it's cute." Len's gaze settled on her, but she couldn't read the look on his face. "Just that – Miku, it's really obvious that you're not wearing _anything_ underneath that shirt.".

She abruptly let go of the laundry bag, her arms shooting up to cover her chest. Her face burned. She hadn't even remembered that she wasn't wearing a bra – she was so used to going braless inside her room that this felt completely natural to her. That explained why Len refused to look anywhere below her face. "I-I don't have a spare one to change into!" she squeaked.

"Maybe you could wear a jacket to, you know, cover up a little," he suggested. It was a good idea, so she followed him to his room, wondering what it would look like. The living room was so pretty. Was Len the one who decorated the space, or was it someone else? Maybe his sister? She didn't peg Len down to be the decorative type. But then again, his house was so minimalistic that it _did_ seem very Len. Maybe it was his design after all.

She realised her thoughts were rambling as she followed him down the hallway, but she just wanted to distract herself from the embarrassment. He opened one of the doors, revealing what she assumed was his room. "Hang on, let me see if there's something you can wear."

The room walls were a soft cream, a few shades darker than the blinding ivory of the living room. There was a charcoal grey carpet beneath their feet, and the curtains, which looked thick and heavy, were a dark midnight blue. There were plants and a plush, inviting window seat, right next to a small bookshelf that was filled with books. He also had a desk in his room, on which was a sleek laptop and monitor screen, a glass pitcher and a white mug.

But the bed was what most caught her attention. It looked like a cloudy dream – his bed was big, probably capable of fitting at least three people, and even without touching the sheets she could guess how soft and plush the duvet was. There were four big pillows, which made her wonder why anyone would need so many. "That's a nice bed." She heard her voice and realised she had spoken without thinking.

He smiled. "You can sit there if you want. There's no need to remain standing." He turned towards his wardrobe, made of dark wood like most of the furniture in his house. She didn't have to think long about his invitation – she sat cautiously on the edge of his bed, letting her palms run over the duvet.

The texture made her swoon. The duvet was cooling and _soft_. This material, whatever it was, was like nothing she had seen before. It was what she imagined clouds might feel like – if clouds were touchable and not just balls of condensed water.

"It's made out of mermaid's hair, spun into silk." Len glanced over his shoulder and saw her face of bliss, shaking his head with a small smile. "You won't be able to find any store in the world selling something like this. The mermaids hate cutting their hair. This was a gift from my mother when I ascended the throne."

"You used to have long hair too…" She remembered his braid, the glimmering pearls that had been weaved into those messy locks. It gave him a very different appearance. He was handsome with his shorter hair, but with that loose braid, he looked wilder. Still heartbreakingly beautiful, but terrifying – a vicious predator that could attack at any moment. "What made you cut your hair?"

He shrugged, still rifling through his closet, which made her wonder exactly how many jackets he had. "It was on a whim. My stupid hair kept getting in my face. And it was so heavy. It got to the point where it was pretty uncomfortable. I convinced my sister to cut her hair with me, and we've both kept short hair ever since."

That sounded valid. Miku tugged on her long hair, which fell to her waist – it could get difficult to manage sometimes, but she didn't find it very heavy. Maybe his hair was just much thicker than hers. "And you took out the pearls in your hair too?"

He shot her a look. "Don't you think the pearls looked stupid?" he asked. She didn't know what to say. "I only wore them because as the _king_ , I'm supposed to look fancy or whatever. Rin was the one who braided them into my hair. I couldn't care less, honestly."

She _did_ get the feeling that Len was not particularly fussed about appearances. After all, given the way he had been lounging about on the throne even when he had visitors…no, Len was not the kind of person – siren? – who bothered about how he looked. But that kind of careless confidence only made him more attractive.

Miku caught her mind going down a questionable direction and abruptly forced herself to remain in the present. She didn't want to start ogling Len, especially not after his shocking revelation. He was _scary_ , yes, but his good looks were also incredibly distracting. And that beautiful melodious voice, the way he treated her…it was easy to forget how dangerous he could be. But no. She ought to stay away from him until she made up her mind.

"Here, take this. You can keep it." He turned towards the bed, holding a faded denim jacket. It looked good – just plain, greyish blue, a decidedly masculine cut with gleaming silver buttons. He passed it to her, and she blinked, surprised by its weight. She guessed denim would be heavy, but she didn't think it would be _this_ heavy. "Should be more than enough to cover you."

"Don't you want it back, though?" she asked, shimmying into the jacket. It engulfed her frame but not in an overwhelming way – in fact, it was perfectly oversized, and glancing at the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe, she decided she liked how it looked on her. "I mean, not that I mind keeping it…but you really don't want it back?"

Len frowned. "I have too many clothes, to begin with. And anyway, that jacket doesn't bring back any good memories." He stared at her. "You look cute in it, though. Even cuter than usual, if possible." He winked, and Miku felt herself blush. He was back to teasing her, and it felt almost like nothing had changed between them – but that would be lying to herself.

"Why do you need to eat people?" she decided to ask as a reminder of how different things were now. The moment the question left her lips, the mood turned sombre – a shadow fell over his face. Okay, so maybe asking something like this had been stupid.

"Sirens are born that way. We crave human flesh. It's not that we cannot survive on other things, but human flesh provides the greatest sustenance. It keeps us full longer, and there is a certain sweetness to the meat that you cannot find in other animals," he answered. She swallowed. This was becoming very uncomfortable. "If you think about it," he mused, "since humans can eat anything they want, then why can't other creatures eat humans? That is simply the way the world works, yes?"

If she wanted to be objective, then…he wasn't wrong. It was just disturbing to think about because _she_ was human, and humans just didn't have predators. Humans were supposed to be at the top of the food chain, right? How was she supposed to accept that there were creatures out there that hunted her? And she was dating their king at that. Why couldn't she just have a normal relationship?

"Why did you stop, then? You said you hadn't…you hadn't tasted human flesh in centuries."

He smiled, but it looked forced. "It's getting a lot harder to find people to eat, you know. As the old belief systems die, so do our sacrifices. In this day and age, it's near impossible to find someone who still worships us and sends us their daughters to satisfy our hunger. In the end, we simply got used to going long periods without eating people."

 _But we still enjoy the taste of human meat._ Miku could read the unspoken words in his gaze, in the semi-apologetic curve of his lips. She looked away, trying to hide her face – she didn't want him to see her fear, but terror made her stomach churn and if she didn't calm herself down, she might be sick.

Gentle fingers touched her chin. "Hey. Hey, look at me." He turned her head to face him, and she met his gaze, her lips quivering. "I don't want to frighten you, but I don't intend to sugar-coat my words either. I want you to make the best choice for yourself, so feel free to ask anything you want and I will give you honest replies, no matter how ugly they get."

"Why did you agree to date me?" she asked before she lost her nerve. She wanted to know for sure – he kept saying he wouldn't eat her, but a girlfriend was less important than a wife, right? Even so, he ended up eating most of his brides. How did she know he wouldn't do the same to her? The coldness in memory Len's eyes made her tremble.

He blinked. "Why?" he echoed. "Why wouldn't I? You're adorable, Miku. And you went out of your way to ensure that I settled into the choir properly. It felt…when you talked to me, it felt like you wanted to know more about _me_ , rather than my face or my money or other superficial things. You made me feel like someone _cared_. About me." His voice was filled with blunt honesty.

"I didn't even know you were rich," she admitted, trying to distract herself from the many butterflies in her stomach. It was the first time she had heard him being so open about his feelings. He wasn't lying about being truthful. "I thought you were just someone who loved to sing, and so did I, and that was something we had in common."

He chuckled. "That's because you're so unobservant, my little fool." She didn't know if she should be insulted that he was calling her a fool, but he said it in such a charming voice that it was hard to get upset. "Believe me, I've had any number of girls trying to talk me up after seeing the watches I wear or the cars I drive. But anyone would get rich if they lived as long as I did. And if they were one of the ocean gods." He rolled his eyes. "The mortals haven't unearthed even one-tenth of the treasures the deep sea has to offer."

"Didn't you ever like anyone else before, though? You make it sound like I'm special. I'm not. I think I'm just doing the same things any other girlfriend would do. You're supposed to care for your partner, right? And wouldn't you be curious to find out more about them?" she questioned, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"No. I don't like mortals. They're selfish and vicious. There's a reason the gods brought beings like sirens into existence. Because mankind needs to be punished for their arrogance." His voice was calm, but there was a sudden iciness in his words that made her flinch. "I've lived for so long, and rarely do I see people doing good. Everything is so transactional. Hardly anyone does anything out of the kindness of their hearts. You're one of the rare few who do, Miku. And I appreciate that."

How was she supposed to respond to this? It was unfair to paint all of humankind with the same brush, but unfortunately, she had to agree to some extent. All the news nowadays pointed at how people only cared about themselves and their profits, even at the expense of the environment or marginalised groups. But she still didn't think it was right to assume all of humanity was wicked just because of this. "There are others out there who are also nice. Like the choir. They're all very welcoming."

His gaze softened. "You're too understanding. And the world will not treat you well because of that." He sighed. "I would never eat you. I know that's your concern. _If he can eat his wives, then why won't he eat his girlfriend?_ – that's what you're thinking now, isn't it?"

Was she that readable? She ducked her head, but he saw the agreement on her face and carried on. "Miku, you have to remember that those wives were sent to me as sacrifices. And the main point of doing that was to ensure my people were kept satisfied. That's my responsibility as their king. I offered those women a way to escape, but if they chose not to participate, then they would get eaten. But you're different. You're not someone sacrificed to me in exchange for good fortune. You are someone I chose _on my own_ , and that makes a big difference." He smiled.

She bit her lip. "But since you're the king…you have to look after the welfare of your sirens, right?" He nodded. "If you ever have to choose between keeping me alive and using me to ensure their survival…would you still kill me, then?"

He hesitated. Something flickered through his piercing blue eyes, an emotion she couldn't quite identify. "Don't ask such difficult questions, Miku. That's not an answer I can give to you so readily." His fingertips grazed her cheek. "I know I have my responsibilities as your lover, but I cannot just give up my position either. I've reigned for centuries now, and it is impossible to forget about my obligations."

She had expected something along those lines, but it was still scary to hear him say that – to be told that he could not fully guarantee her safety with him. Was this a risk she was willing to take? He did sound like he really, really liked her – she still couldn't quite believe he was _that_ fond of her, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Why can't you marry me?" she asked instead. She had been curious about this ever since she learnt that he had taken multiple brides in the past. She had to wonder what the total number of wives he previously had was. Hundreds? Thousands? If he married every single one of his offerings, and if people were so concerned about pleasing him in the past…there must have been a lot of women, then.

"Do you want to?" He made a face. "I promised not to marry because – well, because of the sacrifices. Because any wife I took would die. That's what it has come to mean for the sirens. My mortal wife would rule for a day, and the next night she would become their dinner. You don't _want_ to marry me, Miku." He held onto her hands, staring earnestly at her. "Why would you want to become the queen? You would have to pass our test first, and I don't want you to fail."

"What test is it?" she asked, frowning. Was it really that difficult? Most of his brides had not passed the test, it seemed – though he did indicate there was at least one who did. And if someone had passed the test previously, it proved that passing was not impossible.

He shook his head. "It is best you do not know. Trust me," he added when she opened her mouth, "you don't want to know. It's for your own good." She pressed her lips together when she heard the finality in his voice. Len was unlikely to budge no matter what she said, so she gave up on trying to find out more for now and pursued a different line of questioning.

"How old are you, exactly?" A simple question, one he could probably answer without any difficulty. It wasn't important, but she wanted to know – Len sounded ancient, though he certainly didn't look it, and she wondered if it was strange to be dating someone when there was such a huge age gap. Or did that not matter, since Len was immortal?

"My age?" He paused, a small frown on his face. "I don't know. It's been so long that I've kind of forgotten. Probably close to two thousand? I'm randomly guessing here," he added at the look of shock on her face. "But it might be more. When I was born people were still actively worshipping my father."

" _Two thousand_?" she spluttered. He nodded, looking unamused. "You don't look a day over twenty! Two thousand?" she repeated, struggling to come to terms with the age difference. She was only a hundredth of his age, at best. She must seem infantile in his eyes. And wasn't it weird for him to be dating someone who was so much younger?

"I'm immortal…in other words, I don't age." He grinned. "I've looked this way for as long as I remember. But honestly, Miku. So many new things to learn, and this is what shocks you the most? You didn't even react that badly when you found out I was a siren."

"I knew you were old, but I was thinking five hundred years or something. I didn't imagine your age would be in the thousands!" she exclaimed. He laughed, clearly amused by her reaction. She scowled at him.

"You're so entertaining, sweetheart. There's never a dull day with you." He finally calmed down, though there was still a teasing smile on his face. "I think that's enough questions for now. You should head home. I'll send you back. But before that, come with me to the kitchen – I'll give you something to help ward off any chills. No, it's not human flesh," he clarified at the look of trepidation on her face. Was she that easy to read?

She followed him to the kitchen, tugging his jacket closer around herself. Len's kitchen looked like it had hardly been used, but like the rest of the house, it was beautiful. The counters were black marble, the floor was made of monochromatic black and white tiles, and he even had a bar table with sleek black stools lined up on one side. It was an open concept kitchen, and she could see the living room and the hallway from here.

He reached up to one of his cabinets, and she saw his shirt rise a little, revealing a hint of his abs. She hastily averted her gaze. Miku had never seen him topless before, and she didn't want to because she suspected it would be super distracting.

Len took a small, unlabelled can out of the cabinet. Using a spoon, he twisted the lid off the can and scooped out some powder. The powder was rust red, and that made her pause. "It's not…dried blood or something, right?" she checked, just to be sure.

"What do you think?" His droll reply did not assuage her fears, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he cared for her, then he wouldn't feed her dried blood. Emptying the powder into a cup, he put the lid back on the can and returned it to the cabinet. Then he picked up an electric kettle and poured some water into the cup. "Oh, it's not hot," he muttered, stirring the liquid with the spoon. "One sec."

He held his hand over the cup and mumbled something, and suddenly she saw steam rising from the surface of the drink. She gaped as he casually passed the cup to her, acting as though nothing had happened. "Was that _magic_?" she asked, staring down at the concoction. The drink looked suspiciously like blood.

"Sort of. Guess you can call it that." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm the son of an ocean god. Kind of means I can control water and a lot of other things," he reminded her. She mumbled something in assent, blowing on the drink to cool it down. Slowly, she raised the cup to her mouth and took a sip, letting the taste settle on her tongue – abruptly, she realised the liquid was sweet, with a strange tanginess that was unlike anything she had ever tasted before. "It's good, isn't it? It's made from fireflower leaves. Perfect for preventing colds. Its warming effect will last you at least twelve hours."

"Fireflower?" she asked, still savouring its unique taste. "Is that an actual plant? I've never heard of it." And why did it have to look so much like old blood? Not that the drink tasted weird or anything. It was quite nice. But it looked so…off-putting.

"You haven't heard of a lot of things," he answered. "Fireflowers can be found in the domain of the gods. They used to grow in abundance, back when the world was young. But they need a lot of wild space to thrive, so in the mortal world, they're effectively extinct."

"I see." She continued sipping at her drink, and she could feel the soothing warmth going down her throat, into her stomach. It nestled there, making her feel comfortable and loved. It was like getting a nice hug from a dear friend. "What a shame. This would be a yummy drink for cold days." If only it looked less like blood!

"You can take some with you if you like it." He reached for the cabinet again, inciting another blush – she was just thankful that Len didn't notice how flustered she was becoming. "I can always get more if I want. Here, catch." He tossed the can towards her, and she managed to grab it with one hand, amazed by her quick reflexes. He smiled. "I was half-expecting you to drop that. Anyway, finish your drink and I'll send you home."

Besides the warmth, the drink also had a relaxing effect – she was only now beginning to realise it, as the more she drank, the more she wanted to just lie on the sofa and close her eyes. She wasn't sleepy, but she felt _comfortable_. And the sofa with all its cushions looked very inviting. "I'm feeling…strange," she mumbled, not knowing how else to word it. Len blinked, looking concerned, and she frowned at her cup. "It's not a bad feeling but I don't want to move. I just want to…lie down…" She drank more and grinned.

Realisation dawned on his face. "Oh _no_ , you're susceptible." He took the can and the drink away from her, placing it on the counter. "Okay, just – just rest here for a while." He led her to the living room, to the sofa she had been eyeing ever since she started drinking. "Fireflower affects some people a bit differently. It's a short-term thing and it's not particularly harmful, but you shouldn't go outside for now."

"Um, what happens if I go out?" she asked. Her fingers were feeling a bit tingly. She looked longingly at the cup he had left in the kitchen. She had only finished half of her drink, and she missed its flavour. "I feel great. No, not just great. Amazing!"

"Oh, you'll burst into flames if the sun touches you," he answered as he drew his curtains. She blinked. Did she just mishear him? "Other side effects include a reduced sense of self-awareness, overconfidence and some recklessness. It's like alcohol. The feeling will wear off within half an hour, don't worry. But I'm not giving you fireflower again," he said, turning away from the windows and narrowing his eyes at her.

She giggled. "Hey, Len. Could you come here?" she asked, wriggling into the sofa. He frowned but did as she requested. Now that the curtains were drawn, the living room was dim, and she could barely make out his face. He sat beside her, and she reached towards him, letting her fingers trace his cheeks and his jawline. He didn't make any move to stop her. "I like you a lot, you know," she breathed, feeling the sudden urge to confess again.

"I'm glad you like me." He grabbed her wandering fingers, preventing her from touching anywhere else. "But you're not yourself right now, so I'm going to take whatever you say with a pinch of salt." He placed a soft kiss on each of her fingertips, and the fleeting contact made her shiver. "I wonder if you'd still say the same things once the fireflower wears off," he mused, and she could feel his gaze on her. She felt vulnerable.

But at the same time, there was something thrilling about sitting in the darkness together with him. The shadows whispered exciting possibilities. "Why wait?" Feeling bold, perhaps a little reckless, she yanked her hand away from him and scooted closer, sensing his sudden stillness. His breath fluttered against her skin. He didn't resist, didn't turn away as she reached up, letting her lips press against his. Her arms looped around his neck as she leant into him, enjoying the warmth of his body. But he didn't move, didn't do anything beyond allowing her to kiss him, and she wondered what else she had to do to get him to respond.

His body was lean and lithe, but his lips were incredibly soft. Her fingers moved up to his hair – it was silky and thick, and she marvelled at just how smooth it was. She nibbled on his bottom lip, demanding and insistent, driven by an urge she had never experienced before. His hands slowly inched up her waist, but he wasn't moving quick enough for her, and a strange whimper escaped her throat. Was this really her? She didn't feel like herself.

At the sound of her whimper, he pulled away, exhaling audibly. "Fireflower," he muttered. "It's the fireflower." He let go of her waist, gently but firmly nudging her back onto the sofa. "I'm going to let you rest here, okay? I'll come back when the effects have worn off. Try and take a nap, it'll help the tea go through your system faster."

"Why? Don't leave!" she cried, reaching for him as he got up. He turned back to stroke her hair, but he didn't seem to change his mind. "I want you to stay," she whispered, hoping he would give in and do as she said. But he just sighed and leant down, kissing her quickly on the forehead before he escaped from the living room.

Huffing, she flopped back onto the sofa, frustrated. But he was gone, and she didn't feel energetic enough to get up and chase him. Sinking into the cushions, she felt her eyes slowly begin to close. Maybe she _should_ follow his advice and take a nap.


	5. Chapter 5

Miku sighed, turning over as she snuggled into the sofa. It was so comfortable. She had never been so comfortable, not even on her own bed. This was a really nice sofa.

But try as she might, her body was unwilling to go back to sleep, and she was beginning to feel a little sore from just lying down, so she thought it might be time to finally get up. A pleasant warmth lingered in her stomach, spreading out all the way to her fingers and toes. It reminded her of thick, knitted sweaters and hot cocoa on Christmas Eve.

Opening her eyes just a little, she let them slowly adjust to the surroundings. She was still in Len's apartment, it seemed – at least the ceiling didn't look anything like what she was used to. The room was dark, and she couldn't tell what time it was based on the lighting alone. Miku wondered where Len was. The last thing she remembered was him leaving her on the sofa. Maybe he was in his bedroom? She shook her head, her cheeks warming at the thought.

She decided it was time to look for him. Turning around, she faced away from the sofa, her gaze flitting through the living room – then she noticed a girl sitting on the coffee table in front of her, a giant smile on her face, blue eyes gleaming in the darkness. Miku let out a short scream, unable to help herself – the girl's eyes were electrifying like Len's and oddly creepy in the dim light. Then she quietened, her heart thudding. It was Len's sister.

"Hey, sorry for startling you!" Rin chirped, getting up from the coffee table. She was a bouncing ball of energy, the very opposite of her brother. "I was wondering when you would wake up. I wanted to apologise for sending you to the basement! Didn't know that your visit was unplanned." Miku slowly sat up as Rin fluttered around, bemused. Len's sister certainly was not anything like him. She thought back to the first time she met her, at the lobby – she was calmer back then, even if only a little.

"Why would I visit the basement though, even if the trip was planned?" she asked. It just didn't make sense to her. The basement was weird and clearly dangerous if her experiences indicated anything. Rin stopped and turned, staring at Miku – she couldn't quite make out her expression, but she thought Rin looked confused.

"Why not? Aren't you Len's new bride?" she asked. Miku bit her lip. The mention of brides made her remember what Len told her – that the sirens were used to eating whoever he married. Did Rin think…? "Oh well, it's no matter. I don't care if you're his wife or not." She shrugged, moving on from the topic. "It's nice to see a new person around here. You have no idea how boring it gets. Len doesn't like making friends."

She could imagine. Len had been in the choir for a few months already and he still didn't mingle much with the others, preferring her company over anyone else's. She had to wonder why. All this time she just thought he wasn't particularly sociable, but she was beginning to think it might have something to do with his disdain for mortals instead.

"Do you live here?" she asked, rubbing her eyes as she spoke. She was still a little groggy from her nap, but she wasn't _tired_. That fireflower drink was pretty effective for helping her get a good rest.

Rin shook her head. "It's a nice house, but I couldn't give up the sea for that long." She smiled. "It's our home. Len is just in denial about that."

Miku frowned. In denial? But before she could ask anything else, Len stuck his head out of his room. "You two are being really loud." He clicked his tongue. "Rin, could you stop interrogating her? You're going to scare her away."

"I'm not interrogating anyone!" Rin answered, affronted. He didn't bother to reply – he just retreated into his room, leaving Miku and Rin to stare at each other. "He's so annoying, isn't he?" Rin asked, but Miku could hear a hint of affection in her words.

"You're twins, right? Is Len the older twin?" she asked. Here was a rare opportunity to find out more about Len's background. She knew she'd eventually have to come to terms with his identity, but for now, she'd rather think about more casual things.

"Ah, no. He's younger actually. Not that he listens to me either way." Rin sounded weirdly cheerful about this. "He only listens to two people in the whole world – our mother and his niece. Well, and maybe you too." Miku blinked. Len had a _niece_?

Rin, just like her brother, didn't look very old. In fact, Rin barely looked eighteen. Miku couldn't believe she had a daughter. Niece meant Len's sister's kid, right? Unless he had yet another sibling who he didn't mention to her. "You have a daughter?"

"Yeah. Is that surprising?" Rin asked. "Named her Lenka after her uncle. She looks an awful lot like him. And like me, for that matter. Maybe you'll get to see the little tyke one day. She's quite young! Only a few decades old." She giggled.

Their concept of time was very different from hers. Miku decided she had to put an end to this conversation before she got a headache. "I think I should go home. I don't know how long I was out, but uh, I have an essay that I need to submit tomorrow."

"Oh, right. Right." Rin nodded. "Len! She wants to go home!" Rin yelled at the top of her voice, making Miku wince. It wasn't that she sounded unpleasant – much like her twin, Rin had a soothing voice that reminded her of ocean waves at night – but she was so _loud,_ and she was right in Miku's face.

Len came out after a few seconds, a rare look of annoyance on his face. "Can't you keep it down? The others will hear you." He stopped next to the coffee table with his arms folded across his chest. Rin didn't seem to mind his prickliness. She went over to Len, pinching his cheek, and despite his frown deepening, he didn't push her away.

"You're so adorable when you're mad," she cooed. "I can see where Lenka picks up all her bad habits. You're a terrible uncle." Rin had to tiptoe just to reach his cheek.

"More like she has a terrible mother," he answered, and he sounded so serious that Miku felt a little bad for Rin. Rin took the comment in stride, however. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that the older twin simply ignored him.

"How long are you going to keep your pretty girlfriend hidden away from us?" Rin leant close to him and whispered. Miku could still hear her, though. Len seemed aware of that, glancing at her on the sofa before pushing his sister's head away from him.

"Until I feel like otherwise. Come on, Miku. Let's get away from this idiot." He reached out to her, and Miku took his hand, glad that she could head back. It wasn't that she disliked Rin, but her energy was just a little too much right now. She seemed nice, though. At least she was a lot nicer than the Len from the past.

She shuddered. She couldn't stop thinking about that Len, thinking about the fact that he was once _real_ – that the boy she dated now had been like that, once upon a time. What if he one day went back to behaving that way? She ought to be careful.

"Rin gets very excitable. I think she's bored, hanging out with the same group of people all the time." He pressed the elevator button, his gaze fixed on the floor display. Miku didn't say anything, just waiting for him to continue. "You didn't sleep for long, don't worry. Just around half an hour. You'll have plenty of time to work on that essay."

So he heard them talking in the living room. Miku had to wonder exactly how good his hearing was. "Yeah, I guess." She paused. "I didn't know you had a niece."

"Is that important?" They were travelling down to the basement, but it was a different floor this time. Not the lowest floor, at any rate. She guessed they were heading to the car park.

"No. Not really," she mumbled. She didn't know what else she could say. It _shouldn't_ be surprising since there were plenty of people her age who had nieces and nephews. But to know Len had a niece too was just…well. It was strange. She wished she had heard it from him rather than his sister. "Rin said she's a few decades old. How old is that, in human years?"

He laughed. "Funny concept, isn't it? Human years?" He turned to her, and there was a glimmer of amusement dancing in his blue eyes. "I can't give you an accurate gauge. We're not like cats and dogs, after all – once we go past a certain age our bodies just stop developing. But a few decades…I'd say Lenka is at the same stage as a human six-year-old."

That did sound young. "She must be cute if she takes after you and Rin," she said. He shrugged, neither agreeing with nor denying what she said. "Did you ever want children?" The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

He froze, and he didn't answer for a few seconds. She began to panic, thinking she had said the wrong thing, when he finally exhaled and leant against the elevator wall. "Thinking a bit far ahead aren't you, Miku?" he asked, and though there was a teasing lilt in his voice she couldn't see the same playfulness reflected on his face. He looked…pensive.

"I didn't say anything about wanting to have your kids!" she spluttered, her face heating up at his implication. He laughed, and Miku fidgeted, beginning to feel embarrassed. She hadn't meant for him to take her question that way.

"Kids, huh?" he mused. "I dare say I never thought too much about them. I mean, when you live forever, there's no real need to have children. The sirens can reproduce on their own if they want. Look at my sister – she didn't have a lover then, you know," he added, noticing the surprise on her face. "She just decided she wanted a daughter, and soon enough she had Lenka. A male and female siren _can_ have a child together if they want, but…well. I don't think I was ever interested enough to consider that."

"How about a male siren and a human?" she asked, her heart thudding. She told herself she was asking simply out of curiosity, and not because she wanted _anything_ from Len. He raised an eyebrow, appraising her – there was no trace of humour on his face.

"Miku –" he started, but before he could continue the elevator dinged and the doors opened. He immediately went out, and she couldn't help but feel like he was trying to avoid her question. Maybe he didn't like children. She felt a bit disappointed at that.

It wasn't that she got caught up in baby fever or something. She wasn't at that age, after all. But she always did think it would be nice to settle down and start a family. She liked children, or at least she liked them enough to want her own one day, and now that she knew Len was a siren, that potentially complicated things.

Let's say she decided to stay with him. Even ignoring the marriage hurdle, even if somehow her family was fine with her not marrying her boyfriend – to begin with, could they even have children? And if they did have a child, would the baby develop like a human or a siren? She couldn't imagine dealing with a toddler until she was all old and wrinkly. There was a chance she might never be able to see her child become an adult.

As Miku had guessed, the elevator brought them to the car park, and now she followed Len past rows of cars, wondering how many of them were his. She guessed he owned the entire building, but he couldn't possibly be the only one staying here. After all, he mentioned earlier that there were others around.

He led her all the way to a sleek, shiny black two-seater. She didn't know what brand it was since she had never taken any particular interest in cars, but it looked expensive. "They're not all mine, don't worry." He glanced at her and probably saw the look on her face. "I let some of the other sirens stay here too, and we all have money, so…we all have cars."

It wasn't a big car park, but she still estimated there were around twenty to thirty vehicles parked in here, and they all looked expensive. She was beginning to feel a little faint from how wealthy the sirens were. "Do you even drive to school?"

"No. I usually cycle. Driving is bad for the environment." And she agreed, but if so, why did he even buy a car in the first place? "Hey, better I get the car and not use it than let some human asshole own it." She had to work on making her thoughts less obvious.

"We can walk back to the dorm in that case," she suggested. "I don't mind."

"It's raining, Miku." He stared at her as he opened the door to the driver's side. "You really are unobservant, aren't you?" he asked, something like pity in his voice. She gasped, offended. It was one thing to realise that herself – it was another thing to have him call her out for it, and in such a tone as well! Plus, it wasn't like she could _see_ out of the windows, what with the curtains being drawn and everything.

"I don't mind. I like the rain!" she retorted, immediately regretting her words – but she had already spoken, and she refused to backtrack. He blinked, looking surprised, but he closed the car door. She wondered, in the back of her mind, whether she even had an umbrella with her. Then she remembered she had come here empty-handed.

"A thirty-minute walk through the rain? Are you sure?" he asked, clearly giving her a chance to change her mind. But she was hopelessly stubborn and she nodded – she was not one to give up on things halfway, even if she knew she would regret her decision.

"Okay then. I'm fine with walking." The car lights flashed as he locked the vehicle, and they headed back to the elevator, Miku feeling her heart sink with every step she took. "I just want to let you know that the rain is getting heavier," he said, tipping his head back and looking at the ceiling. "And that the storm isn't going to affect me, but I can't say the same for you." He met her gaze and Miku swore he was taking pleasure from her misery.

"A little bit of water never killed anyone," she declared, eager to wipe the smirk off his face. She didn't catch what Len mumbled in response, though she managed to pick up something about her being wrong. She elected to ignore him.

They headed to the lobby – the receptionist greeted Len as he left the elevator, a look of surprise on her face when she saw Miku following closely behind him. Miku stared at the receptionist, wondering if she was a siren too, but Len noticed that she had paused and tugged on her elbow. "Let's stop here and look." He spun her around, making her face the glass doors, and she swallowed as she saw the deluge outside.

"You sure you don't have second thoughts?" he leant in and whispered in her ear. There was something about his nearness, the softness of his voice, that made her shiver. It was a good feeling. _No, no. You can't think that. He's dangerous, remember?_ Yeah, dangerous but still her boyfriend and still very attractive. And he did say he wouldn't eat her –

Okay, she had to focus on what was going on now. "Yeah, no second thoughts," she replied, though she couldn't hide the little quiver in her voice. He looked like he wanted to laugh, but he bit his lip and nodded, mirth in his eyes. She pouted. Shouldn't he try a bit harder to dissuade her from making a stupid decision? She thought he cared about her.

"You have a really nice voice, Len," she said in a bid to distract herself from the imminent misery she faced. The amusement on his face disappeared.

"I'm a siren, Miku. What else would I have if not a nice voice?" Oh yeah, she should have figured that out. She just kind of forgot about that part of the myth, too hung up over the fact that he _ate people_. "Anyway, are you sure you want to walk out there? I'm not going to stop you, but if you get sick, I'm not taking responsibility."

And there was the attempt to change her mind. She grinned, triumphant. "Nope! I'll be fine! But do you have an umbrella?" she asked, her grin becoming awkward. Len shook his head. Of course, he wouldn't have something that prevented him from getting wet. Was she even surprised? "Ah…then maybe we shouldn't walk?" This was her best chance to back away gracefully from her idea, and she would take it.

"No! I have one!" Miku cursed to herself as Rin bounced through the lobby, a small pink umbrella in her hand. She beamed, clearly convinced that she was doing Miku a favour, and she forced a smile, taking the umbrella from Rin. "I'm so _happy_ to know that you care enough about the environment to walk through the rain. Len sure is lucky to have you!" Rin declared, pressing her hands together.

There were stars in her eyes, and Miku didn't want to dash her hopes by admitting that she only elected to walk so that she could get back at Len. Not that it inconvenienced him anyway since he wouldn't get wet.

"Why do _you_ even have one of those things?" Len asked, sounding horrified. Miku just studied the umbrella. It was one of those really tiny foldable ones, barely able to shelter even one person. This umbrella would be useless against the downpour outside.

"Uh…I'll tell you next time." Rin waved cheerily at them, going back to the elevator. Miku sighed. The stars had aligned to decide her fate, and it looked like there was no getting out of this now, at least not if she wanted to leave with her pride intact.

It was a lose-lose situation no matter how she looked at it. "Thanks, Rin," she called out as she entered the elevator. Rin gave her a thumbs-up, then the doors closed, and she was heading back up to Len's apartment. Seriously, how did Rin even _know_ Miku needed an umbrella? Did she have supersonic hearing?

"Let's go then." He placed a hand on her shoulder, steering her towards the glass door. Miku swallowed, nervously opening the umbrella. Out of the many bad choices she had made and all the mistakes she had committed, this would probably be one of the worst.


	6. Chapter 6

Miku groaned, reaching for the chamomile tea. She wrapped her numb fingers around the hot cup, glad for its warmth. She should have just swallowed her pride and asked to take Len's car. Why was she an idiot?

Len shook his head at her. "I hate to say I told you so, but there's not much else I can say." She just glared at him. He was completely dry, which was so _weird_. She was certain the rain had gotten him wet too, but the moment they closed her room door behind them, Len was dry again. It was unfair. Stupid son of an ocean god with his stupid magic powers.

His lips quirked up. "I may not be able to read minds, but you sure are an open book." He murmured something in a language she didn't understand, and she felt a warm breeze pick up around her – the next thing she knew, her skin and her clothes were dry. Even her hair was back to normal, no longer clumping together like a used mop. "There you go."

"Wow." She stared down at the denim jacket which had, just moments ago, been weighing her down due to how ridiculously heavy it got when wet. "I think I like your powers."

"I can do more than just make hot drinks and blow you dry, you know," Len deadpanned. "But I'm glad you appreciate my services."

She tossed the laundry bag into her basket – she would sort her things out later when Len was no longer in her room. She didn't dare to open the bag in front of him. What if he saw her lingerie? Her face flushed at the thought but luckily, he wasn't looking at her.

"Your room sure is a mess, isn't it?" he asked, studying the huge stack of scrap paper she had left on her desk this morning. It hadn't been there last night – earlier in the day, she wanted to start on one of her assignments but got distracted by her old notes and decided to embark on some impromptu spring cleaning. Then she got tired and gave up halfway.

"Shut up." She hastily went to her desk and attempted to shuffle the notes together into a neater pile. Her attempt didn't quite work, so she just placed herself firmly in front of the paper stack, blocking it from view. "You can't see it anymore, so does it really exist?"

Len snorted. "You're ridiculous. But it's adorable." He ruffled her hair, and she swallowed, feeling a nice sort of tingle at the contact. Miku couldn't really stand the way she reacted whenever he touched her, but she had been crushing _really bad_ on Len for months before she confessed, and those feelings wouldn't go away just because he wasn't human.

It had been almost a year since he joined the choir, and around two months since they started dating. He was pretty much one of her first crushes and the longest-lasting one at that. The second-longest was her crush on Shion Kaito, which lasted all of three weeks before she realised that he was a total idiot. And not in a good way, either.

She didn't fall for him immediately, of course. And Len himself took a while to open up to her. He spoke to her whenever she initiated a conversation with him, but she was pretty certain he only responded because she was the welfare rep and it was her job to make sure he was fitting in okay. It was mostly through their text conversations that they got closer.

Come to think of it, when did he begin to open up to her? Not that Len ever _fully_ opened up, but he was definitely more comfortable around her than other people. Was it when she started telling him more about herself and her family? When she first mentioned that she would love to study music, but was afraid she couldn't make a career out of it? Or was it that time she went around campus picking up and properly disposing of litter?

No matter what it was, Len must have thought there was something about her that was worth his time because before long he started teasing her about the dumb things she said and inviting her to have lunch with him on campus, or asking her if she wanted to practice together before their actual choir session. She tried to study with him once, but it was too distracting – Len had spent the whole study session sleeping, and she could barely stop herself from reaching out to poke his cheek. They never studied together again.

She grew to like him because when he laughed, he looked so _alive_. She liked him because when she had a panic attack the night before her finals, he called her and his soothing voice calmed her down, lulled her into a dreamless sleep. She liked him because one time when he saw a lost child on campus, he bounced the crying boy on his knee and made funny faces and brought him around their university until they found his father, who had been unable to hire a babysitter and therefore asked his child to wait for him outside the lecture theatre.

She could still recall the look of relief on the father's face when Len appeared, the little boy laughing beside him. That had been the first time Miku thought Len would make a great father, and now that she remembered this, she figured he probably knew how to deal with kids because of his niece. She sighed. Len was an amazing boyfriend, and he really _would be_ perfect if it wasn't for the fact that – well. She couldn't just let that go, could she?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Len asked, leaning closer and looking curiously into her eyes. She yelped, startled out of her reverie – he was way too close, and when he was this close, she couldn't quite think straight. There was concern in his expression. "You sighed."

"It's nothing!" She waved her hands about, trying to forget what she was thinking. She had the feeling that her cheeks were pink. Why did she _always_ blush around him?

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push her to reply. "Guess I should head back now, right?" He met her gaze, and she gulped, feeling a strong urge to look away. It felt like he would be able to read her mind if she kept staring into his eyes. "Hope you manage to finish that essay of yours. And don't forget to eat dinner again."

"Okay, yes mum." He grinned, then leant in and gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. She froze, the innocent kiss reminding her of what she did right after she drank that fireflower tea – how she had _sort of_ forced herself on him, and how he seemed so reluctant to push her away. If only she still had that kind of reckless courage!

"Your face is red." He withdrew, raising an eyebrow. "You don't have a fever, do you? You drank that fireflower tea after all, so it should help prevent you from getting sick…" But she could see the knowing gleam in his eyes, and she _knew_ he was aware of how flustered she was becoming. "Poor Miku. Do you need to see a doctor?" He touched her forehead.

"No, I don't!" She pushed him away, though she had to laugh at his exaggerated look of hurt. He could be so silly. Her smile turned wistful – if only they could be like this every day. If only she hadn't found out the truth, and they could spend so many more weeks and months together, thinking that nothing was wrong. But wishes wouldn't change anything.

His gaze was uncharacteristically soft, and her breath hitched as he looked at her – he was so close now. She felt like if she didn't say a single word, he might just lean over and kiss her. Did she want him to do that, though? She kind of did. But she shouldn't. Should she?

Len took another step towards her and now his face was just a short distance away from hers. She bit her lip, clenching her fists by her sides in readiness. There was a strange tension in the air, and while part of her was nervous about this, the rest of her just wanted Len to hurry up and kiss her already. She supposed she could always start things off, but she recalled what it was like to be kissed by him first and it felt – it felt so _good_.

He could see the eagerness on her face, and he laughed, reaching out to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "So impatient," he whispered before he leant down and their lips met – she let out a soft moan she hadn't known she was holding in, and she felt him pulling her closer, one hand behind her head, the other placed on the small of her back.

Her arms reached for him, looping around his neck, and she tiptoed so she could further press into him, deepening the kiss. Their bodies were flush against each other, and his warmth and the fresh scent of rainwater that lingered on his skin – it was making her feel heady. He groaned when she pulled back slightly, hesitantly trailing kisses down his neck like what he did to her last night – she could feel his pulse thrumming against her mouth. Miku had no idea what she was doing, but it seemed like Len was enjoying it, so she pressed on.

He shifted his hand away from the small of her back, going underneath the denim jacket to settle on her blouse. She could feel his fingers plucking at the hem, unsure if he should go further. With a decisiveness she didn't know she possessed, she reached back to grab his hand and slide it underneath her shirt, sighing when she felt his skin against hers.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Miku." He pulled away from the kiss long enough to whisper in her ear, but she didn't answer; instead, she cupped his face in her hands and drew him back towards her, driven by an urge she couldn't quite control. She wanted him, his touch felt wonderful, and she yearned to feel his body against hers.

His other hand, the one on the back of her head, shifted downwards – he tugged at the collar of the jacket, exposing her neck, and she gasped when he began to suck on the curve of her shoulder, sending shivers through her body. Suddenly, she was incredibly sensitive, and she bit her lip when she felt his teeth nibble on her neck.

Maybe she should be more careful, given his tastes and preferences, but at that moment she just wanted to feel his mouth on her. He lifted his head, leaving her skin feeling tender, and the look of desire in his eyes did funny things to her insides. "Len…" Her voice came out breathy, and it didn't sound anything like her. But the sound of his name seemed to flip some kind of switch and he wavered, the desire shifting to uncertainty. Miku was just about to pull him back to her when there was a sudden knock on her door.

"Miku!" She heard Gumi's sing-song voice calling for her. "Open up and tell us about _everything_!" She briefly considered pretending she wasn't in her room, but she glanced at Len and saw that he had withdrawn from her completely, his gaze averted. She groaned. Talk about impeccable timing. "Come on, I _know_ you're in there!"

"I should leave." Len gave her a small smile, then reached out to flick his fingers against her forehead, making her wince. "Let me know by tomorrow, yeah?" And with that, he took a few steps, undid the window latch and slipped outside, all within one fluid movement. She gasped, hurrying to the window – she lived on the fourth floor of her dorm, and that was a pretty dangerous jump – but when she looked outside, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Miku!" The knocking was increasing in frequency now, and with a frustrated groan, Miku unlocked the door, staring crossly at her friend. Gumi just grinned obliviously at her, while Luka stood beside her, smiling apologetically. Well, at least _one_ of them had the decency to look sorry. "Great, you finally opened the door. Tell us what happened!" Her stupid friend wiggled her eyebrows, and Miku considered slamming the door shut.

But she could never bring herself to do something like that. With a sigh, she invited her friends into her room, surreptitiously looking around to check if Len was somehow still there – nope, there was no trace of him whatsoever. She wondered if teleportation was one of his other godly powers. "Okay, so…how do I start? I just want to say that nothing happened."

"What?" Gumi cried, looking crestfallen. "But you picked out _such_ a cute set! Don't tell me he had no reaction at all! Is he gay or something?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips. Miku hurriedly shushed her friend, afraid the entire floor would be able to hear her – come to think of it, Gumi was a whole lot like Rin. Though her friend wasn't a dangerous mythical being who could easily rip her throat out if she was in a bad mood.

"No, no. He wasn't even home." This would probably be the best excuse. It was too much to explain what truly happened, and anyway she didn't think it would be a good idea to tell them what Len was. She was his girlfriend, and the truth already freaked _her_ out, let alone other people. The last thing she wanted was to spread panic and chaos throughout the school.

"Oh." Gumi frowned. "Guess we should have checked on that before you headed over, huh?" she muttered, tapping a finger against her chin. Miku was glad that Gumi was the kind of person who just took everything at face value. It probably helped that Miku did not often lie – she didn't like being dishonest, but she felt like she had to protect Len. No matter what happened to their relationship, they were _friends_ , and he hadn't done anything to hurt anyone. Not yet, at least.

Luka was more perceptive than Gumi, however. "Where did that jacket come from?" she asked, sounding _very_ curious. Miku, trying to think on the spot, mumbled something, and the two girls frowned, leaning closer. "What did you say? We can't hear you," Luka pushed, a small smile on her face.

"I bought it when I was outside to make myself feel better!" she declared, satisfied with her excuse. The two girls exchanged a look, and Gumi suddenly lunged for her jacket, rubbing the material between her fingers. She yelped, instinctively jumping away, and Gumi looked up with a smirk. That smirk made Miku very uncomfortable.

"You decided to buy a men's jacket huh, Miku?" Gumi asked, keeping her expression so blank that Miku just _knew_ she was taunting her. "Never knew you were into that. I mean, it's not anything like what you usually wear, is it?" She smiled, then peered at Miku's outfit and frowned. "Hang on, this wasn't what you wore to visit Len!"

Ah, crap. Miku had completely forgot about that. Luka coughed. "You're not about to tell us that you bought a whole new outfit at some store, did you?"

"Yes! Is there a problem with that?" She folded her arms across her chest, trying to avoid Gumi, who was trying to grab her shirt. "I can buy new things every once in a while, right?"

"But you told us just _last week_ that number one, you were on a tight budget," Luka raised a finger, "and number two, you made a resolution to not buy any more new clothes because you watched some documentary about the fast-fashion industry. Remember?"

Crap again. She had really talked herself into a corner now. Miku wondered what she could say to get herself out of this situation. If she prayed to Len, would he help her? Wasn't he a god? And he was her boyfriend to boot. But if she prayed to him, would she have to give him some sort of sacrifice? Was he even capable of helping her out of this mess?

"I was at a thrift shop. These are all second-hand," she explained, hoping they would just leave her alone now. Why were they harping on about this? It wasn't like she was keeping some deep, dark secret from them – okay, so maybe she _was_ , but they didn't know that. She went to her boyfriend's house, he wasn't around, she felt disappointed, so she tried to cheer herself up by buying some new clothes. Was that so difficult to believe?

"There's no thrift shop around here, though." Luka frowned. Gumi was just staring at her with a sly, triumphant look on her face, clearly expecting Miku to cave and tell them the truth, whatever she thought the truth would be. Miku wanted to scream.

"I went to one near his place! It just opened so I wanted to take a look! Why are you guys asking so many questions? Don't you trust me?" she huffed, unable to take any more of their questioning. Gumi and Luka withdrew, surprised by her outburst. "It's not like I'm _hiding_ something from you. He wasn't home so I went for some retail therapy. That's all! And this outfit only cost ten bucks, so I bought it!"

"Okay, okay." Gumi relented, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry about being so pushy – we were just hoping you managed to get what you wanted," she explained with an apologetic grin. Miku exhaled, the exasperation leaving her as quickly as it came. She shouldn't be annoyed at her friends when they cared for her. She just felt a little twinge of regret, wondering what would have happened between her and Len if they didn't come knocking on her door. Would Len have let himself go? Maybe, maybe not. Who knew?

Certainly not her. "I guess I can always try again. He's not going to run away." She wished she could say that with more confidence – Len had certainly seemed eager to run away when he leapt out of her window. "How did you two know I was in my room, anyway?"

Gumi shrugged. "Lucky guess. Okay, fine. Because you actually locked the door this time. Half the time you go out, you forget to lock the door. I'm surprised no one has stolen stuff out of your room yet." Luka nodded as Gumi spoke, and Miku winced. Did she really keep forgetting to lock her door? Why hadn't her friends told her about this before?

A few vague memories surfaced of Luka lecturing her about personal safety, and Miku decided she did not want to think about this right now. "Oh, right. Okay. Um, are you two working on that essay for Women in Literature?" she asked, abruptly changing the topic.

Luka blinked. "Miku, that essay was due yesterday."

"Huh?" Miku stared blankly at her friends, who both nodded sympathetically at her, a look of pity in their eyes. Miku clapped her hands to her cheeks. "You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking." This was the essay she had been planning to start on tonight. She was _absolutely_ certain it was due tomorrow! Though now she wasn't so sure.

"No, it was due yesterday," Gumi answered. "Did you mix up Tuesday and Thursday again? It's not the first time that happened…"

"Oh no," Miku wailed, whipping around to her desk, scrabbling for her laptop. "I'm going to need your help! I've barely even started, and our professor is going to kill me. It's the second time I'm submitting something late." She rambled on as she tried to find her draft essay amidst the clutter on her desktop. Luka and Gumi sighed, very much used to her idiocy, and they stood on either side of her, watching as she finally managed to pull up her document. She had only typed two sentences so far.

"Looks like it'll be another late night for you, Miku," Luka observed. "Want some coffee? I can go make a caffeine run – was planning to get some tea for myself. Gumi?"

"I'll go with you. We'll be back, don't worry!" Her friends quickly made themselves scarce, and Miku sniffed to herself, grabbing some tissue from her desk and blowing her nose. Why did these kinds of things always seem to happen to her?


	7. Chapter 7

Miku was exhausted. She had spent the entire night rushing out her essay, writing random crap she was surprised she could even think of, and she managed to submit her essay at the start of class today, apologising profusely about her tardiness.

She was fortunate her professor was somewhat forgetful and an overall sympathetic person. Miku swore on everything she held dear that she would never be late again and that she was horribly, sincerely sorry about her mistake. She was let off with a warning.

Rubbing her eyes, she glared at the iced coffee in front of her, wondering if she would be able to make it through the day on one hour of sleep. It was tempting to skip her next class since the lecturer was a complete bore who only seemed to read off his slides, but her family wasn't paying her ridiculous school fees just so she could sleep in.

She hated Thursdays, though. Because of sheer overconfidence in her own capabilities, she had arranged two back-to-back classes, then a one-hour break followed by a two-hour seminar. And her first class was at eight in the morning. She was lucky she lived on campus; otherwise, there was no way she would ever show her face at that morning class.

"May I borrow a pen?" the boy sitting next to her whispered. She scrabbled around in her pencil case, searching for a pen she didn't mind losing – she knew that whatever pen she loaned probably wouldn't make its way back to her. The boy took the pen with thanks, and she glanced at him, glad to have a momentary distraction. She had seen him around in her other classes before, though this was the first time he had chosen the seat beside her.

What was his name? She knew this…ah, right. Ian Planetes. She remembered this because in one of the seminars she attended, they had to start off by introducing themselves and she remembered his name because it was so…special. She glanced at him, studying the way he leant over his notes, jotting down whatever the professor said. Man, he sure had beautiful penmanship. Miku could only wish she wrote half as nicely.

There was something about him that looked oddly familiar. She couldn't place her finger on it, but she knew it wasn't just because she had seen him in other classes before. No, she had seen his face somewhere _outside_ of school, she was certain – just where? This mystery was way more interesting than forcing herself to stay awake, and she stared blankly ahead of her, trying to pull up her memories. It was practically on the tip of her tongue.

Trying to be discreet, she glanced at him again and jumped when she realised that he was looking right back at her, one eyebrow raised. So much for being discreet. "Something wrong?" he asked, and his deep blue eyes made her feel like she was looking at a starless night sky – infinite and unexplainable.

"No, nothing. You just look really familiar," she mumbled, a little embarrassed at having been caught staring. Though she guessed he would be used to stares. He was really handsome. She wondered if he was a model or something – he did look the part, with his casual grey sweatshirt and his joggers. He had long platinum hair that reached his waist, done up in a loose braid that reminded her eerily of _that_ Len.

Honestly, where had she seen him before? Ian smiled. "Oh. We share a few classes I think, so maybe that's why. I remember you because of your hair," he added. Miku self-consciously twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. She knew the unusual colour made her stand out, so she was used to being recognised, even if people didn't know her name.

"The name's Hatsune Miku. Nice to meet you." She decided to introduce herself. He seemed friendly enough.

He nodded. "Ian Planetes," he told her, and she smiled, glad that her memory hadn't failed her. Sure, maybe she couldn't remember the due date for her assignments, but at least she could remember names and faces. "Thanks for lending me your pen. It's not something I'd normally forget to bring, but I was pretty tired this morning."

"Didn't get enough sleep?" she asked, sympathetic. Sleep deprivation was an unfortunate side effect of being a university student.

"Yeah, it was really noisy last night." He winced. "I could barely even close my eyes. And then my boss – I mean, my roommate was in a pretty awful mood, so that didn't help."

"Do you live in the dorms?" she asked. Miku had opted for a single room when applying for campus accommodation, knowing full well that her living habits would likely annoy the hell out of any roommate. Plus, she enjoyed her privacy. Ian shook his head.

"I live a little distance off-campus." He smiled distractedly, his gaze flitting away from her. "Though I _am_ considering moving to the dorms. Seems a lot more convenient."

"Well, applications to stay in the dorms will be closing soon, so you should hurry if you want to move to campus." Miku glanced at the professor, hoping their conversation hadn't been noticed. The professor was still talking, focused on the other side of the lecture theatre. "What's your major, by the way?" She looked back at Ian.

"Me? Art." He fiddled with her pen, and Miku noticed a small doodle of a shark in the margins of his notebook. It was quite cute.

"Do you know Kagamine Len?" she asked. Len had taken a few art classes before, though he was a music major. Actually, given his background, wasn't it pretty unfair that he was in Music Studies? After all, he had a natural advantage.

"Oh…yes, I know him." Ian's voice was strangely cautious. Miku blinked, surprised by the wariness in his tone. "He's your boyfriend, isn't he? That's what I heard, anyway."

Her cheeks flooded with heat. She didn't know people paid them so much attention that even a stranger like Ian knew they were dating. "Yeah. He is." Come to think of it, she had to let Len know what she wanted by today. She kind of had an idea, but she wanted to spend a while longer thinking about it. It would be a huge move, and she didn't want to make the wrong decision. "Do you two share classes or something?"

"Ha. Not exactly." Ian glanced at their professor, jotting down a few pointers from the slides. She looked up and decided to scribble something as well, though she had no idea what it meant. "I'm guessing you're a Literature major if you're taking this class."

"Um, I guess so? I have a double major, actually. Literature and Business." She felt a little self-conscious talking about this – she knew she didn't quite _fit_ into most people's impressions of a business major. Business students were supposed to look put together, with poise and confidence and well-thought plans. Miku clearly lacked any of the above.

"That must be busy," Ian commented. To her surprise, he didn't seem shocked by her admission. "I can't imagine studying for two majors. Just one is bad enough on its own."

"You learn how to manage." Though she wasn't at the stage where she was properly managing anything. It had been three years and she was still running around with little idea of what she was doing. It was a miracle she could maintain her current grades.

"Why the interesting combination, though? Literature and Business. They sound completely different from each other." Ian was beginning to doodle on his notebook again – Miku saw him outlining a dolphin this time, and she frowned. A shark and a dolphin. Somehow, the two marine animals felt very familiar. Where had she seen them together before?

"Literature is my interest. Business is my primary degree, and what I will use when applying for jobs," she explained. If she had it _her_ way, she'd just study music, no questions asked. But she wasn't quite sure if that would be a feasible career option. Music Studies was also too intensive to take on as a second major, so in the end, she opted for Literature.

She did mildly regret it because her workload was heavy still, maybe only slightly less heavy than if she had gone for Music Studies instead. But she was already here, and she had come so far – she only had another year to go before graduating from university.

And she ended up joining the choir, which helped a little. Even if she couldn't major in her passion, at least she could still do musical stuff at school. "Sounds like you have your life all planned out," Ian remarked, adding eyes to his dolphin doodle. Cute.

"Not really…" She fidgeted in her seat, feeling a little antsy at the thought of the rest of her life. She didn't have much time left before she graduated, but she still wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do. All she knew was she needed a job because she wanted to pay her family for her education. They didn't strictly _need_ the money, but they weren't crazy rich either. She knew paying them back would help the household, especially since Mikuo was due to enter university next year. He was still thinking about his courses.

"At least you probably _will_ get a job." Ian flipped a page, and Miku's eyes widened when she saw what was in his notebook – it was a pen sketch of a mermaid sitting on a rock, looking out to sea. It was a rough drawing, but even then it was beautiful – there were tiny bits of foam spraying into the air as the waves crashed against the rock, and the mermaid's long hair was remarkably detailed, cascading down her back to conceal her slender frame. "Better than having a useless degree, isn't it?"

She couldn't tell if he was being self-deprecating or not, so she decided to change the topic. "You draw amazingly well," she marvelled, leaning a little closer to study the sketch.

Ian smiled. "Thanks." His fingers lingered on the notebook as though he wanted to turn another page, but abruptly he closed the book. "I'll show you some other sketches next time if you're interested." He met her gaze and his smile widened. She nodded, glad that he was comfortable sharing his art with her. It was always fun to look at pretty things.

"Okay, please remember to read up on the assigned text before the next class." Miku heard the professor say, and she looked at the clock and realised that their lecture was already over. She hadn't noticed the time passing so quickly.

"Thanks for the pen." Ian slid it back to her, putting his notebook in his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. When he stood, she realised he was noticeably taller than her, probably somewhere around Len's height. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah, I guess so," she echoed, watching as he gave her a friendly wave and left the lecture theatre. She picked up the pen he had returned to her, twirling it around her fingers. The doodles of the shark and the dolphin just wouldn't stop niggling at her. They were so familiar. Ian himself was so familiar. But where did she remember him from?

* * *

"You're free now, right? Meet me at the cafeteria in five minutes, next to the vending machines. See you." That was all Len said before he cut the call.

Miku stared at her phone, wondering what Len was even doing in school. Len's timetable was arranged such that he only had classes on Mondays and Fridays and even then, he didn't usually show up for them.

She knew he was doing really well despite his constant absenteeism – Len only appeared _just enough_ to not get kicked out of the course. She used to think he was some kind of musical prodigy, but now she knew he was a siren, she couldn't help but think he was cheating the system. He was a mythical being whose entire story revolved around his beautiful singing voice. Wasn't it practically guaranteed that he would do well?

Anyway, was this meeting about her decision? She swallowed. She had made up her mind, but she was still pretty nervous about letting him know. There was no way to predict how he would react, but this was the best solution she had. And in her head, it made perfect sense.

Heading to the cafeteria, she kept a lookout for her boyfriend – not that he was particularly difficult to spot. She noticed the group of girls lingering near the vending machines and saw Len studying the options they offered. She hung back for a while, wondering if he'd actually get anything – she hardly ever saw him snacking. Len ended up getting a pack of Twisties. The girls whispered excitedly among themselves, and he ignored them.

Miku cleared her throat, approaching Len, and he glanced up when he heard her, a bright smile on his face. The girls dispersed as she walked past, and Miku looked questioningly after them as they flitted to the other side of the cafeteria. "Were you waiting for long?" she asked, taking one of the Twisties as Len offered her the bag.

"Nope. Just got here a while ago." Len shook the pack, then emptied the Twisties into his mouth. Miku blinked. She was certain there was at least half the bag left, but Len managed to swallow everything without any issue. Maybe he had eaten more of the Twisties than she thought. "Oh, yeah. I hear you've met Ian?" he suddenly said, startling her.

"Are you two good friends or something?" She hadn't told him about Ian yet. This was the first time they were talking since she woke up at 7.45 in the morning.

"Sort of. We do know each other if that's what you're asking." Len gave her the same kind of vague answer Ian did. "We go…ah, _way_ back."

Miku narrowed her eyes. The nagging suspicion in the back of her mind was becoming a little clearer. "Let me guess. He's one of your sirens, right?" Len responded with a non-committal shrug. "No wonder he was doodling all those sea creatures in his notebook, and _no wonder_ he sounded so shifty when I mentioned you. Then he talked about his boss slash roommate being in a bad mood last night – he was referring to _you_ , wasn't he?"

"I wasn't in a bad mood last night," he mumbled. She just placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, waiting for him to clarify. He sighed. "Yes, he's one of my sirens. My second-in-command, to be more specific. He's mostly here to keep an eye on me."

"Second-in-command?" she echoed. "Why would he need to keep an eye on _you_?" She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you the king? You don't look like you need a babysitter."

"Let's just say they don't trust me not to dump all my memories somewhere and convince myself that I'm mortal," he answered, his tone flat. "Ian is constantly worried that I'll ditch my duties and give up being the king. Do I look like someone so irresponsible?"

She found it difficult to answer this question. Honestly, Len would not be the first person who came to mind when she thought of kings. "So he's your second-in-command." She suddenly remembered why Ian's face looked so familiar. "Right. He was one of the sirens who almost attacked me in your memory!" She clapped her hands, glad that she had figured things out, but then she frowned. Wait, that didn't sound like a good thing.

Len gave her a strange look. "Yeah, he probably would have been. He's only a bit younger than me, and we've been through a lot together. If I ever relinquish the throne, he'd be the next in line. But you've seen what he's like. He's not power-hungry at all."

Yeah, she had difficulties imagining Ian Planetes trying to rule over anything. From their brief interaction, she could already guess that he was more comfortable being invisible. Len received significantly more attention than Ian did, though they were both arguably beautiful – in fact, she might not even have noticed Ian if they didn't share classes.

But this also explained how Ian knew she and Len were dating. "Why isn't he just in the same course as you, then? Wouldn't that make it easier to keep an eye on you?"

Len rolled his eyes. "He wanted to challenge himself. Said taking Music Studies would be like stealing candy from a baby." Miku stared at him, and he frowned back at her, looking defensive. "What? I'm here to pass the time, not stretch my abilities."

"Oh, so that's why you're in school?" She had never thought to ask, but it _was_ pretty weird that a centuries-old siren would suddenly decide to attend a human university. Did sirens have schools of their own? What did they do with all their free time?

"Yeah. Why else would I be here? I don't want to go back to the sea, at least not for a while, and given my appearance," Len pointed at himself, "university seemed like the best place to be. It's more entertaining than just staying home listening to Rin, anyway."

She had questions, so many questions, but Len changed the topic before she could open her mouth. "Ian told me he's pretty impressed that you can find time to study two majors. He told me to take a leaf out of your book…" he snorted. "If only he knew the truth."

Miku felt oddly defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?" She narrowed her eyes, silently daring him to elaborate. Len just smiled, then mimed zipping his mouth and throwing away the key. She sighed. He was ridiculous. Again, she couldn't help but compare Len now to the past Len. What happened between then and the present that led to such a drastic change? Was it linked to one of those memories he kept away, perhaps?

She cleared her throat, suddenly remembering what she had wanted to tell him. "Okay. You asked for my decision by this afternoon, right?" she asked, and he eyed her warily, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was unfair, how good he looked in just a simple band tee and a pair of slim-cut jeans. There was a deep blue denim jacket thrown carelessly around his shoulders. Len looked like he just rolled out of bed but in a fashionable sort of way.

If Miku tried to emulate that kind of look, she'd just look like a mess. "You know what? I like you, Len. Enough that I want to try and overlook the possibility you might eat me in my sleep because I believe you _won't_ try to do that." He perked up, blue eyes brightening, but she held up a hand, cutting him off before he could speak. "I just have one condition. I don't want to live in constant terror that you or your sirens will get hungry and the next thing I know, I become your afternoon snack."

"Then what do you propose?" he wondered. "If it's some kind of warning, I'm more than happy to threaten them. It's been a long time since I last gave them a good thrashing –"

"No, no," she interrupted. "That is _not_ what I had in mind." His blue gaze was curious, and she swallowed, preparing to deliver her outlandish idea. "I think we should have a trial run. I could come over to stay in your apartment for maybe a month or so. Let them get used to me, and I used to them. Then maybe I won't be so afraid all the time."

Her suggestion was met with silence, and Miku exhaled, wondering if she was being too forward. Here they were, barely two months into their relationship, and she was already suggesting cohabitation. How risqué of her! Len was frowning, and as her nerves grew with each passing second, she began to consider taking back her idea. She could say it was a joke.

"Sure." She opened her mouth, about to play it cool and laugh off her suggestion, then his response sank in and she stared at him, the words dying on her tongue. Len shrugged. "You can move in whenever you want. Let me know if you need help with packing."

"Oh. Oh, okay. Yeah. I will." The words came out without her really thinking about them. She hadn't actually expected him to say yes. "Uh…you know, Ian mentioned that he wanted to move to campus. Maybe I could swap rooms with him."

Len groaned. "No, don't let him move to campus. He's just trying to get away from Rin. I'm not letting him leave me alone with my sister."

Miku remembered what Ian said about things being noisy last night and then she recalled Rin yelling for Len at the top of her lungs. That was probably what he had meant. "I don't want to pay for a month of rent if I'm not staying here, though," she mused.

"I'll cover your rent, don't worry." Len casually flung an arm around her shoulders, ruffling her hair with his other hand, and she waved him away, ignoring his laughter.

"No, I can't just let you pay for my things. That's unfair. Even if you _are_ rich," she added when he opened his mouth. "Let me talk to the Student Affairs Office and see whether they can do anything about it. I might need your help with packing tonight, though."

"What, you want to move in so soon?" He blinked at her, surprised.

"Why not? Better sooner than later, isn't it? It's almost the weekend, so it'll be a good time." After a pause, Len agreed, leaning his chin on top of her head. It was nice to be tucked against him like this. She felt very much protected, but it was also awkward since they were in the cafeteria and she could see some girls outright staring at them.

"Ignore them." Len could probably feel the tension in her shoulders, and he noticed the direction in which she was looking. "They're just jealous they can't have me, but you can."

She shook her head. "It still doesn't make sense sometimes."

"Well, very little makes sense in this world, don't you think?" He spun her around, and there was mirth in his electric blue eyes. "I'll let you go for now; I have some things I need to see to. But you can expect both me and Ian at your dorm tonight. I've seen the amount of junk you have. You'll definitely need the both of us," he said before she could protest.

She huffed. "Fine." But she was smiling when she met his gaze. Len gave her a look that she thought was almost adoring, and he leant forward to give her a quick peck on the lips. She almost panicked, but Len murmured goodbye in a voice even more sensuous than usual and then he was gone, leaving the faintest scent of the ocean in his wake.

Len might be no good for her safety, but he was _definitely_ no good for her poor heart.


	8. Chapter 8

She heard a knock on her door, and she almost fell over in her haste to see who it was. Though she had a pretty strong suspicion who it might be.

Len and Ian stood outside her room, and if she didn't know who they were she might have fainted right there and then. When they were side by side, their beauty was _unearthly_. She wanted to fan herself, but then Len would probably make fun of her, so no.

"It doesn't look like you've packed anything at all…" Len delicately picked his way across the floor, avoiding the stacks of files and clothes strewn all over the place. Ian stared. She couldn't really tell how he was feeling – he just stood there, looking kind of lost.

"I did! Stuff on the floor is what I'm _considering_ bringing with me." Miku picked up a stray notebook on her bed, squinted at it, then tossed it on her desk. "The Student Affairs Office said they could give me a partial refund on my deposit, but whether or not I can apply for campus accommodation again after a month is subject to availability."

"At most, you can keep on staying at my place. Not like I mind." Len made a face as he peered into Miku's mug. "Ugh. How long has it been since you last washed this?"

"I haven't used it in a while, so I can't remember." Miku looked inside the mug too and saw the insides had turned dark brown. "I guess I _should_ wash it…"

"I don't think it's a matter of should or should not. You have to. Or if you don't want to, throw it away. I think there's mould." Len glanced at Ian, still standing outside the room. "Ian, what are you doing outside?"

"I don't think there's anywhere for me to stand inside, Len," Ian answered, looking at the floor. Miku felt a little bad. Maybe she shouldn't have tossed her things all over the place. But she had never realised exactly how much junk she managed to accumulate over the past few months! Where did all these papers even come from?

"Can't you use your magic powers to clean my room?" she asked, eyeing Len hopefully.

"I'm not a cleaning god. You know that, right?" Len deadpanned. "And even if I was, I wouldn't help you cheat this way. Don't be lazy." He pointed at the big box of stuff she had placed on her bed. "Is that what you're bringing over? What _is_ in there, exactly?"

"Clothes…mostly clothes. And some of my notes." Miku peered into the box just in case she had forgotten something. "I'll be carrying my laptop and tablet in my bag, so that's pretty much everything. These papers," she gestured at the floor, "I have no idea where they came from. I think some of them aren't even _mine_."

Last she checked she wasn't taking any biochemistry classes. "Someone probably left them in your room." Len bent down, picking up a stapled set of notes. "Yeah, this sure as hell isn't yours. Aerospace engineering?" He flipped through the pages, wrinkling his nose. "I don't understand any of this. Do you, Ian?"

Ian cautiously entered the room, and Miku noted that he moved with an ethereal grace that reminded her of dolphins leaping through water. In Len's memory, Ian had been one of the sirens who lingered behind, less aggressive than the others – she wouldn't even have remembered him if he wasn't a guy. Most of the sirens who almost ate her were women. Ian met her gaze, his eyes apologetic, and she wondered if he knew.

The two of them were as different as night and day, though they had some resemblance to each other. Both were blond with stunning blue eyes, but Len was vibrant and attention-grabbing, while Ian was more muted. In hindsight, Miku felt like she should have known right from the start that Ian wasn't human either. He was too beautiful to be mortal.

"I think I understand a bit. Do you want me to explain?" Ian looked at the first page of the notes Len was holding.

"No thanks. I just wanted to know how much you've been studying." Len tossed the notes onto Miku's already overflowing desk, causing some other papers to slide onto the floor. "You're sure that's all you want to bring?" He tilted his head towards the box.

She nodded. Most of her things were on her laptop, anyway. She didn't like referring to hardcopy notes – which was why it didn't make sense, how much paper she had lying around. Maybe it was because the choir executive committee liked to have meetings in her room. Occasionally they forgot to bring their things back and Miku would keep them at first, fully intending to return them to their owners. But then she would forget, and those things remained on her shelves, taking up space.

"Right. Ian, could you help Miku with her things? I'm going to clean up the mess _you_ made." Len gave her a pointed look and she glanced away, suddenly embarrassed. She wasn't usually super messy, it was just that Len caught her at a bad time.

Ian nodded, reaching over to take the box from her bed. It was kind of heavy, at least for her, but it didn't seem to bother him at all. "Let's go." Ian met her gaze and smiled, and she immediately felt more at ease. She waved goodbye at Len, who shooed her away as he twirled his right index finger – she gasped as all the random things she left on the floor began to float, either flying back to her wardrobe or shuffling themselves into a neat pile.

Ian closed the door. "Let's hope no one sees him," he said, his eyes narrowed – there was a faint look of concern on his face. Miku suddenly thought about her mother, who always worried about her no matter what she did or how old she got – Ian gave off a similar sort of vibe.

"Len told me you were his second-in-command." She felt a bit awkward – while it had been pretty easy to talk to Ian this morning, that was before she knew he was a siren. He nodded, setting off down the corridor, and she fell into step beside him. "So…uh, that makes you pretty powerful too, right?" she asked. She didn't know what else to say.

"Maybe." Ian gave her a small smile. "I don't know, what do you consider powerful?"

"Len is powerful," she mused, turning his question over in her mind. That _was_ something to think about. What was power? "He's a god, isn't he? He can do things that humans cannot. And he's the king of the sirens, so I guess that makes him strong too."

"He became king because he was strong. It's not the other way around," Ian corrected her. "Len is exceptional. He was born centuries before many others, but time has passed, civilisations have crumbled, and his reign still endures. No one who survived challenging him ever dared to do so again. Len did not seek power. Power sought him."

There was faint reverence in Ian's voice, and she could tell just how much he respected his leader. Now that she knew who Ian really was, he didn't seem to be as cautious talking about Len as he was this morning. "But to be his second-in-command, you must be pretty strong yourself, right?" she asked. "Len told me that all male sirens are direct descendants of the ocean god."

"He is correct." Ian was going down the stairs now, and Miku made sure to pay attention as she walked – the last thing she wanted was to miss a step and fall on her face in front of him. "I dare not call myself powerful. But I've followed Len for a long time, and what I will say is that I am his closest advisor. Not that he often listens to what I have to tell him." He turned his head to look at her as he spoke, but his gaze was unreadable.

She decided it might be better to change the subject. "Why did you choose to major in art?" she asked. If Ian wanted to challenge himself, he could have gone for any number of other courses, and she was curious about how he arrived at his decision.

"My mother was an artist. After she died, I told myself I'd follow in her footsteps. Though I am always trying to improve." Ian's response was calm, almost subdued, yet it surprised her all the same. His mother passed away? But she thought the sirens were immortal.

It would probably be rude to ask, though… "How long have you been drawing for?" She was pretty sure he didn't only start when he enrolled in university. He drew too well.

"It's been a few years." He smiled. "Do you like art, Miku? Len doesn't particularly care for it. But then again, on most days, he doesn't really care for anything."

A shadow fell over Ian's face. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she just stayed silent and followed him to the ground floor. Ian was headed in the direction of the student car park near her dorm. It was a nice evening – most people were in the cafeteria having dinner or working on their assignments, so it was relatively quiet outside.

They were almost at the car park when she heard a faint _pop_ , and suddenly Len appeared right next to her, making her jump. "Oh my _god_ , Len. You scared the heck out of me!"

"Didn't know you were such a scaredy-cat," Len teased, ruffling her hair. Ian glanced at them but didn't say anything, walking over to a black car instead. It looked a lot like Len's car, just that it could seat more than two people. "So, Miku – are you looking forward to meeting the rest of the sirens?" He held the back door open for her as she climbed in.

"I don't know. Are they looking forward to meeting _me_?" she asked, watching as Ian set her box of stuff down on the front seat. He walked around to the driver's side while Len got in next to her, yawning. "Put your seat belt on," she added, poking his arm.

"You sound like Ian." Len reluctantly did as she said, ignoring Ian's quiet chuckle. "And of _course_ the sirens are looking forward to meeting you, Miku. Nothing's changed in our lives for the past hundred years – you'd be a welcome distraction."

There was nothing reassuring about the way he said that. "And a yummy one too, I suppose," she mumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Stop thinking about that."

"That's easier said than done." Ian pulled out of the parking lot and then they were on their way to Len's apartment. Miku looked around the car. It was pretty comfortable – the seats were made of leather, and the engine was so smooth and quiet that, were it not for the scenery outside, she wouldn't have known they were moving. "Actually, if you can just teleport wherever you want, why didn't we do that? Wouldn't it be faster?"

Len, who was looking out of the window, glanced back at her. "Oh, you don't want to go through that. I've never met a person who liked to shift with me. You'll get motion sickness, and it hits really bad. Ian doesn't like it either. He'd rather drive."

"It's like being pushed through a very tight tube," Ian said from the driver's seat, and Miku could see his dark eyes in the rear-view mirror. Their gazes met. "We essentially compress and rebuild our bodies in order to jump through space. It's not comfortable, and few of us actually enjoy doing that."

"Is it that bad?" Len sounded surprised. "It feels okay to me."

Ian sighed. "Len, your experiences rarely match ours. You keep forgetting you're not on the same level as the rest of us." Ian adjusted the rear-view mirror, and Miku could no longer see his eyes. "You are an ocean god. The only siren who can claim such a title."

"Yeah, whatever. You know, if you took over the throne you could be an ocean god too." Len turned his gaze back towards the window, but Miku thought she could sense a hint of anger in his voice. Ian didn't reply.

There was a fair bit of tension in the car after Len's comment, and Miku withdrew into her seat, trying to distract herself by looking outside. The drive to Len's place didn't take long, maybe around ten minutes at most. She soon recognised the street they were on, and she glanced at Len – he was still staring out the window, so she couldn't see his face.

He was truly an enigma. Sometimes he seemed so open, so willing to tell her anything she wanted, but there was always one secret or another, something about him she could never truly understand. "Why don't you two go up first? I'll park the car." Ian stopped in front of the apartment, and Len finally turned away from the window, looking towards the rear-view mirror. Neither boy said anything, but finally, Len nodded and got out of the car.

Miku quickly followed suit, watching as Len opened the passenger door and took her box out. She adjusted her bag straps, feeling the weight of her laptop and tablet on her shoulders. "Come on, let's go." Len smiled at her, and if she hadn't been sitting inside the car when he and Ian had their exchange, she wouldn't have guessed that he was anything but happy. "You're going to live on my floor – hope you don't mind putting up with Rin."

"No, it's fine." Rin was loud and chirpy, but that was something she could deal with – and anyway, even if she was unhappy about it, she doubted there was much she could do. Len opened the gate and walked into the lobby, Miku trailing anxiously after him – coming here the second time felt pretty different when she knew who the inhabitants of this place were. The receptionist was still there, looking as bored as ever, though her expression turned into one of surprise when she saw Miku behind Len.

"Welcome home, my liege." The receptionist addressed him, but she was clearly looking at Miku and she tried to think of a polite way to ask her to _stop staring_. It was making her very uncomfortable. "Do you need me to help register your guest?"

"Ah no, it's fine. She'll be staying with me for a month, so give her barrier access, okay?" Len strode past the counter without waiting for a reply, Miku hurrying beside him – the sooner she could get away from the receptionist's judgemental stare, the better.

"She's a siren too, right?" Miku whispered once she thought they were out of earshot. She figured the receptionist wasn't too fond of her – after all, she kept giving Miku the stink eye. Len blinked.

"Who? Her?" He tilted his head towards the counter. Miku shushed him and nodded, and he smirked. "No, she isn't. She's a selkie. And don't worry about the look on her face – she treats _everyone_ like that. She's a bit prickly."

"Oh." She frowned. "What's a selkie?"

"Seal folk. They're seals that can take on human form when they shed their skin. They're pretty delicious, too." He paused when he saw the look on her face. "Have you never tasted seal?"

"Is there anything you wouldn't eat?" She glared at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Stop freaking out every time I talk about eating something even vaguely humanoid. I don't see you getting mad about sharks eating seals."

"Well, sharks are predators! Seals _are_ their food source," she defended. "If they don't eat seals, what else could they eat? It's not like sharks can just go vegan."

"I'm a predator too. Don't see you giving _me_ that much leeway," he answered, but there was humour in his gaze, and she realised that he was just messing around with her. "We might not be eating humans anymore, but we still need meat, you know. Plus, I only eat selkies when they piss me off, so…" He shrugged, entering the lift.

"Does she know you might eat her one day, then?" Miku looked back at the counter one last time before she followed him inside. He pressed the button for the tenth floor, balancing her heavy box on one arm.

"Yeah, she knows. Don't worry, most seafolk think being eaten by me is an honour. Probably something to do with me being a god." He leant against the elevator wall, closing his eyes. "She's paid well for the danger she faces if you're so concerned about her welfare. And she's free to quit her job at any time."

"You pay her? With what, cash?" she asked, wondering if seafolk had any real need for currency. Len wrinkled his nose.

"Let's keep that a secret, shall we?" he said. She opened her mouth to speak but then the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. "Look, we're here. Ladies first?"

She exited the elevator, stepping once again into Len's very nice house. She could see Rin sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching television – there was a little girl curled up next to her, who Miku assumed was Len's niece. What was her name again? Lenka?

Rin looked up as Miku and Len walked into the living room. "Oh! You're back." Rin picked up the remote and switched the television off, nudging her daughter. "Go say hello to your uncle," she told the girl, who slid off the sofa and trudged towards Len.

"Hello, Uncle Len," she muttered, looking longingly at the television screen. Miku held back a laugh – the little siren was supposed to be a few decades old, but she supposed children would always be children.

Lenka greatly resembled Len. She was basically Rin but with long, wavy blonde hair, and she reminded Miku of a doll with her perfect pink lips, soft blue eyes and porcelain skin. "Wow, you're grumpy tonight, aren't you?" Len placed Miku's box on the sofa, grabbing his niece and tickling her. Lenka started giggling and shrieking, trying to get away from him. "Do you love me or the television more, Lenka?"

"You, Uncle Len!" she screamed, hugging his legs. He relented, but she continued clutching on to him, staring up at Miku. "Who is that?"

"This is Miku. She's going to live here from now on," he explained. "Well, for the next month at least." Lenka blinked, still watching Miku with a wary look on her face. Miku crouched so that she was on the same level as her.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you." She smiled. Lenka looked up at Len again, and he nudged her encouragingly. She hesitantly let go of him and shuffled closer – Miku waited as Lenka peered at her, wrinkling her nose. This whole experience made her feel like she was trying to pet a stray cat.

"You smell weird," Lenka declared. Rin gasped, immediately scolding her daughter for being rude, but Miku waved it off, knowing kids could say dumb things at times. They usually didn't mean to cause offence. Len just looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Are you a human?"

"Yes, I am." Upon hearing that, Lenka hid behind Len's legs again, but Miku stayed where she was until the girl poked her head back out, watching her. "I'm not scary, you know. I'm just different from you."

"Yeah, Lenka, she's not going to eat you. The other way around maybe." Len's eyes glittered with mischief, and Rin, whose attention was now fixed on her phone, looked up and said something half-heartedly about him teaching Lenka the wrong things.

"I don't wanna eat her," Lenka declared, wrinkling her nose. "She smells funny!" There was a pause. "But you seem okay, I guess." The girl reached out to her, and the next thing she knew Lenka was poking her forehead. Miku blinked.

"Okay, stop creeping her out, you little blonde terror. Go join your mother. Go. Shoo." Len grabbed Miku's wrist and tugged her back up. She almost lost her balance. "Let me show you to your room – you should unpack your stuff while it's still early."

He picked her box back up and led her down the hallway, this time to another room she had never been to before – this room had light cream walls, the same colour as his own bedroom. Unlike the navy guest room, there was also a desk and a window seat. He placed her box on the floor. "Make yourself comfortable. Let me know if you need any help or if you want to meet the other sirens. They're going to have dinner soon, so you can join us then."

She nodded, feeling a little lump in her throat at the mention of dinner. But it should be okay, right? She didn't want to overthink. Len smiled, then closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in the room. She crossed over to the bed and sat on it, patting the bedsheet. It wasn't as soft as Len's bed, but it was still comfortable. She laid down with a sigh.

Today had been a very long day, and she was exhausted. But first things first – she would unpack her things, make herself feel at home, then go outside and join Len and the rest for dinner. She wondered what the other sirens would be like.


	9. Chapter 9

Admittedly, Miku did not have much to unpack. She hung up her clothes in the closet, placed her tablet and laptop on the desk along with her notes, and then she was done.

Taking a picture of her room, she sent it on the group chat she shared with Luka and Gumi. Studying the picture, she smiled – it looked so clean and minimalistic, as though it came out from some home design magazine. Luka and Gumi knew that she was moving in with Len – she had expected them to tease her about it, but other than Gumi telling her to pack more cute lingerie they didn't say much, which was kind of surprising.

She felt her stomach growl and patted her tummy, wondering if she ought to go for dinner. She felt a twinge of uncertainty, knowing that she'd eat with the other sirens – what were they like? Would they want to eat _her_? She doubted Len would let them make a move on her, but the thought of sharing a table with beings who viewed her as a main course rather than a person was far from reassuring.

But she couldn't ignore her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she decided not to think too much about the sirens, stepping out of the room to look for Len. She paused at the entrance to the living room – Rin was still seated on the sofa, but Len and Lenka were nowhere to be seen. Rin looked up from her phone. "Oh, you hungry?" she asked. "Len said to bring you down when you want to eat. He's a little occupied."

"Where is he? And Lenka?" she asked. Rin didn't reply straight away – she bounced off the sofa and approached her, linking her arm through Miku's. Rin beamed up at her and she blinked, taken aback by her sudden nearness.

"Lenka said she wanted to swim with dolphins, so Len brought her to some ocean. Don't know which one, don't care. He'll take good care of her. Let's just go eat first," she chirped, and Miku thought she could understand why Len had referred to his sister as a terrible mother. "Don't worry, I'll introduce you to all the others! None of them will lay a hand on you," Rin added. She sounded uncharacteristically serious, but it was reassuring.

"Oh yeah, before I forget. Give me your number! I need to text you something useful." Rin thrust her phone towards her. Miku took the phone and added her number, wondering what she wanted to send her. "Great, thanks. One sec." Rin tapped at her screen, and a few moments later Miku's phone buzzed. "You should check that out."

She did as Rin said, taking a look at the message she received. She made a mental note to save Rin's number later and instead opened the document she sent over. It looked like a mind map, but as Miku studied it she realised it was some kind of organisation chart. Len's name was up at the top, and there were some other names connected to his – Miku recognised Ian's name right below Len's. Rin's name was there too, though her name was in a separate bubble and wasn't connected to the rest. "Are these all the sirens?"

Rin nodded. "The names linked to Len stay here permanently. The ones in the separate bubbles, like mine," Rin pointed out a few names, "we come here occasionally, but we aren't residents. This should help you remember their names and what rank they hold in relation to the king. The higher the rank, the higher the floor. For example, Ian lives one floor below Len."

"Oh! Thank you, this is helpful." Rin nodded again, her smile widening. Miku studied the chart in closer detail. She saw there was a total of nine names linked to Len's. Ian was one of them – the other names were _Yuma, Piko, SeeWoo, SeeU, Rei, Meito, Lapis_ and _Yukari_. "That's quite a lot of male names," she realised. Weren't male sirens _rare_?

"Yeah. They all serve Len since he's the king." Rin pointed at Yuma's name. "Yuma and Ian are both Len's direct subordinates. Ian is second-in-command, while Yuma is third. Those are the main two names you need to remember. The rest of them, you just need to know what they look like." Rin shrugged. "Though I'd recommend staying on Rei's good side. A little bloodthirsty, that one."

Miku flinched. That didn't sound good. "Shall we?" Rin clapped her hands, oblivious to Miku's inner turmoil. She pulled her over to the elevator, and Miku watched as they headed to the second floor. Her gaze drifted over to the lower floors again, and she shuddered at the memory.

When the elevator doors opened, Miku saw a common lounge with a whole group of people sitting and standing around, talking to each other. But before she could even step out of the elevator, nine pairs of eyes turned towards her and suddenly, all conversation came to a halt. She swallowed. Their expressions ranged from irritation to curiosity to plain indifference, and she wondered where to look. Rin squeezed her arm, and she felt a little more comforted by her presence. At least there was one friendly person with her.

"This is Miku!" Rin announced, tugging Miku's arm to make her wave. "As you might have heard, she will be staying with us for one month, and Len expects everyone to get along with her. In other words, no threatening, no eating, and no other scary nasty things. Do you understand?" And although Rin's tone was light and sweet there was a maniacal light in her blue eyes that made Miku wonder if she had underestimated her.

"You don't need to worry about that, Rin." A tall, pink-haired man came towards them, his emerald eyes twinkling. There was a cheery smile on his face. "Nice to meet you, Miku. My name is Yuma, and I hope you find your stay here to be enjoyable."

Miku awkwardly shook his hand. Yuma – the third in the chain of command. At least his distinctive hair and his height made it difficult to forget who he was. "Nice to meet you," she echoed. Rin pulled her out of the elevator, and she couldn't help but feel like she was stumbling into a den of wolves.

Ian met her gaze and smiled, and she felt a little better seeing a familiar face. "I'll handle the introductions. This is Rei," Ian tilted his head towards the dark boy beside him. He gave a jerky nod of his head and continued snacking on some chips. "That one there is Piko." He pointed at a thin, waif-like boy with straight silver hair and beautiful eyes, one green and one blue. The boy smiled. "That's SeeU and SeeWoo, they're brother and sister. SeeU is the older one." Both of them had blond hair, and they waved at her.

"I'm Lapis! And this is Yukari." A girl with hair the colour of the ocean stepped forward and interrupted Ian, dragging another girl with her – the other girl had long, silky lilac hair. "It's so nice to see another girl! There's way too much testosterone in this building."

"You trying to pick a fight?" Rei waved his fist at Lapis, who stuck out her tongue at him and hid behind Yukari. Yukari rolled her eyes. Miku just observed, amused by how Rei was yelling at the two girls. Maybe the sirens weren't as bad as she thought.

The last person to introduce himself, a tall boy with red eyes and dark brown hair, stepped forward and cleared his throat. The ruckus quietened. "I'm Sakine Meito. It's good to meet you." He said nothing else, turning towards Rei and grabbing a handful of his chips.

Rin made a sound that could only be described as a purr. "Good! Now we've all introduced ourselves, we should have a nice meal together!" she exclaimed, finally letting go of Miku's hand. "What's for dinner tonight?"

"Pizza," Piko spoke, and his voice was soft and delicate – Miku imagined this was what dreams and fairy dust would sound like. "Yukari decided on the menu today, so we just went along with whatever she wanted."

"Name one thing in the world better than pizza," Yukari muttered, folding her arms across her chest. Lapis patted her encouragingly on the shoulder.

"We had pizza last week," SeeU groaned, pinching her flat tummy. "I'm going to gain so much weight at this rate. SeeWoo is already making fun of me."

"Am not!" SeeWoo protested, punching her on the shoulder – SeeU jumped and arched her fingers into claws, hissing at him. "You're just sensitive to _everything_ I say."

"Okay you two, no fighting. Aren't you embarrassed? We have a guest!" Yuma interrupted before anything happened. SeeU and SeeWoo glanced at Miku, then at each other, then they each took one step away from the other. "Hope you're fine with pizza, Miku. Though Len might bring something else when he's back. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"Playing with Lenka," Rin answered, skipping into the lounge. Miku followed, maintaining a little distance between them. "I'm sure he'll be back within the next half an hour or so. Let's just eat first, I'm starving," she declared, leaning against the counter.

"Where's the pizza?" Ian asked. Yukari shrugged, studying her nails.

"On the way? I dunno." Miku noticed that her nails were painted purple as well, just a few shades darker than her hair. "Ask Rei to cook something if you're hungry."

"How about I rip your heart out of your chest and cook _that_ –"

"Enough, children. Stop making us look like uncivilised pigs." Yuma stepped in again, and Miku decided that he was most likely the parental figure in the group. Rei and Yukari glared at each other, unbothered by Yuma's scolding. He sighed. "Can't we all just get along?"

"In case you forgot, Rei was the one who _cut off all my hair_!"

"Bitch, that was fifty years ago, lighten the fuck up."

Rin reached up to cover Miku's ears when both sirens started using some very colourful expletives – she was pretty sure she hadn't heard even half of these before. Yuma and Ian exchanged a look while the other sirens watched, entertained. Ian was about to open his mouth and say something when Len suddenly materialised, holding onto Lenka's hand.

"I could hear you all even before I got here," Len groused, looking around the room. "Will it kill you to not snap at each other for just five minutes?" Upon his appearance, Rei and Yukari had quit arguing, though they were still eyeing each other resentfully. Len released his niece's hand and Lenka skipped over to Rin.

"Well, you know how these two are like whenever Yukari brings up the hair incident," Lapis supplied. Yukari shot her an aggravated look, while Rei bared his teeth at them – Miku saw Rei had a particularly prominent canine, and she shuddered at the sudden thought of it sinking into her throat. "Allowing them to meet was a mistake," Lapis cheerfully continued, ignoring the simmering tension in the air.

"It's just hair, it'll grow back," Len muttered. Yukari shot him a look of betrayal, while Rei's lips curved into a gloating smile. "Anyway, I'm starving. Please don't tell me it's pizza again for dinner."

"Ah, it _is_ pizza…" Ian murmured. Len rolled his eyes.

"Should I have expected anything else? Makes me wonder if I should be keeping _any_ of you around. Useless, the whole lot of you." He glanced at Miku, a faint smile on his lips. "I'm sure I don't need to introduce Miku again, but I expect you all to play nice with her or you'll have to answer to me. Understand?" Though he addressed his sirens his gaze never left hers. Miku swallowed. Around his sirens, Len seemed a little…different.

Maybe it was the aura of authority he suddenly exuded, though he hardly spoke or acted in a way that was different from his usual self. It was just that suddenly, Miku could see why they revered him so – there was a ring of power in his voice, something so commanding about his presence that she couldn't help but _know_ he was different.

A murmur of assent spread throughout the sirens. Len approached her, and she jumped when he slid his arm around her waist, tugging her a bit closer. "Let's go eat then, shall we?" he asked, and the sirens all moved as one with their king, heading down the hallway. She followed, trying not to look at anyone besides Len.

* * *

Yukari had ordered eight pizzas, and each one was heaped with meat and cheese. There wasn't a single vegetarian option, but that wasn't too surprising.

Piko and Meito popped out of the dining room a little while into eating and came back with fried chicken and fish and chips, to the other boys' delight – the girls didn't seem to particularly care about the new dishes, polishing off the remaining pizza instead.

They truly could eat a lot. Miku had taken three slices of pizza – one pepperoni, one meatball and one meat lovers – and she was pretty much stuffed after that. But all of them kept on eating and eating, and even after all the pizza and the fried chicken and fish and chips were gone, Rei was still leaning back in his chair, complaining that he was hungry.

Miku was seated next to Len, but Yuma sat on her other side and she was now listening to the conversation between them, intrigued. "The mermaids would like another exchange with us. They said it was beneficial the first time."

"They probably just want to fuck around again," Len groused, munching on his pizza slice. "I don't care how repressed they are. They can go find human men or something. We aren't their toys, you know."

"But the previous time they stayed over they _did_ help us with cleaning the tank. It's not like any of us want to do it. And that selkie certainly won't help, either."

"Do you want to give up your body just so we can get a clean tank?" Len asked, finishing up his pizza and licking his fingers clean. Yuma didn't reply, and he appeared to take the silence as an invitation to continue. "You can go ahead and host them in your personal capacity but leave me out of this. I would prefer to never lay eyes on their queen again."

"Should I tell them that, then?" Yuma asked, and Len paused.

"Yes. But find a better way to phrase it," he finally answered. Yuma nodded and rose from his seat. He met Miku's gaze, gave her a quick smile, and walked away from the dining table.

Ian, who was sitting opposite Miku, pushed his plate towards her. "Are you still hungry?" he asked, a faint look of concern on his face. There were two pieces of fried chicken on his plate. Miku shook her head, though she thanked him for his generosity – she was pretty sure _he_ wasn't full. Half of the sirens still looked plenty ravenous.

"I'll take that then if you aren't gonna eat it." Rei leant over and grabbed Ian's plate, and though Ian looked rather alarmed when his chicken disappeared, he didn't protest. Rei bit into the chicken wing, staring intently at Miku the whole time, and she fidgeted.

She couldn't quite read Rei's eyes. He had golden eyes – not light brown, but true molten gold, and while they were mesmerising to look at, Rei himself reminded her of a big cat. A panther specifically, with his raven hair and those fierce golden irises, along with the sharp little canine that gleamed whenever he spoke or smiled. Overall, it was kind of scary. "So, how did you meet our king, human?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled.

"Uh, we met at university," she answered, taken aback that he was even talking to her. He didn't seem like the kind who would be interested in anyone outside of his social circle, judging by how brusque and snappy he was. Rei swallowed his mouthful of chicken.

"That's nice." His eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should go to university too. Get me a nice mortal girlfriend." The sudden smile on his face looked frightening, and Miku had a strong feeling that he didn't want a girlfriend for the same reasons Len did. Len shot Rei a warning look, and he relaxed into his chair, turning his gaze away from her.

"Ignore Rei. He's a bit…" Ian paused. "A bit bloodthirsty. But you'll get used to him. And he won't try to hurt you, he values his life too much." Ian's lips quirked up, and beside him, Rei snorted. "Rei, shouldn't you find another way to let go of your pent-up frustration? Other than scaring the human who's staying with us."

"Like what?" Rei groused, licking his fingers clean. "Go back home? I'd rather not. My mother would smother me to death."

"But you've been complaining about how bored you are for the past decade. Even if you're not tired of it, I am," Len grumbled. "Find something to do. Go to school, get a job for all I care. Just don't go around drawing attention to yourself."

"I don't think Rei should get a job. Remember the last time he tried, and he almost ate a tourist who pissed him off?" Ian chuckled. Miku's eyes widened at this piece of information. "It was entertaining, but cleaning up after that was a nightmare."

"I didn't eat him," Rei clarified at the look of horror on Miku's face. "Came pretty damn close, think I gave him a heart attack but he's still alive. I think. Len managed to stop me before I got too far." He shrugged. "Never work in the service industry."

"People _can_ work in the service industry. Just not you with your anger management issues, Rei." Len stretched, drawing the attention of the entire table. "Well, now that we've all eaten, I think it's a good time as any to _go for a swim_." The way Len emphasised the last few words made her think that there was more to it than just post-dinner exercise.

Lapis, seated on the other end of the table, pouted. "But I just did my hair. I don't want to ruin it," she whined. Rin patted her on the shoulder.

Len rolled his eyes. "Fine, then just the men. I'll make sure to soothe Levi's broken heart when it realises that you're not there to visit." Lapis continued pouting but she didn't try to change his mind. He glanced at Miku. "Hmm. Maybe you should come with us. It'd be a nice escape from the mortal world, and the night is still early."

Miku was hesitant. "What will you be doing, exactly?" she asked. Levi sounded like the name of a pet, and she suddenly recalled Len mentioning that he had a bunch of pets that could destroy ships or something. There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, a mixture of nerves and curiosity. Len's lips curved into a grin.

"You'll see," was all he said, and Miku sighed. When he phrased it that way, was there any way she could tell him no?


	10. Chapter 10

All the men piled into the elevator, and Miku found herself squashed between Len and Piko, who gave her a sweet smile when she fidgeted beside him.

Most of the sirens were noticeably taller than her, other than Piko. Piko was probably at most a few centimetres taller. The elevator was bringing them down to B2, and Miku couldn't help but wonder if there was _another_ weird chamber with Len's memories just floating around – she didn't think she could handle another journey through his past.

The trip down was short, though she could hear Rei mumbling something – she didn't know what he was saying since he spoke in a language unfamiliar to her, but SeeWoo responded to him curtly and Rei fell silent. She could sense their stares, and she couldn't help but wonder if they had been talking about her.

They all poured out of the elevator at B2, and Miku blinked, looking around – the place was dark, but she could make out a short flight of steps in front of her thanks to the eerie light that illuminated the room. The light looked watery, and she realised it was coming from the giant aquarium in front of her – the glass tank was lit by a bright light that filtered through the water and drew ripples across everything in the room. Shadows danced across Len's face, and she glanced at him, wondering what was in the tank. She couldn't see anything.

The water was a peaceful shade of blue, the kind of colour you'd see on a nice sunny day at the beach, but she also observed the drops of condensation rolling down the sides of the glass and she wondered how cold the water was. "It's time to give this thing a clean," Yuma muttered, tracing one finger across the glass. His finger left a trail through what she now realised was frost, stretching up from the base of the tank. "The water is murky."

Was it? It looked pretty clear to her, but maybe they had different expectations. "We can settle that later. Let's introduce Miku to our pets," Len said, and he grinned at her. Miku just smiled nervously back in response – she had a feeling that these pets were not going to be cute dolphins or anything like that.

"Come here." Ian beckoned, and she approached him slowly, aware of all the eyes upon her – Ian drew her to the side, and she saw there was a door at the base of the tank. Which was confusing, because wouldn't the water just rush out when the door opened? Ian placed his hands on either side of her head and murmured something, and she felt warmth spread from his hands into her body, spilling down from her temples to the rest of her limbs. "Follow our lead. Though I suppose Len will take care of you."

Said siren was already lingering around the door, and when Ian removed his hands from Miku's head, he nodded and pulled on the handle – the door swung open easily, and Miku could see swirling blue water beyond that somehow _didn't_ rush out and flood the room. She gaped, surprised by this, but the sirens didn't even pause, filing in an orderly manner into the aquarium. Len was last to enter, and he turned to her with a smile on his face, his hand reaching for her. She swallowed. But she wouldn't be able to breathe in there.

"You trust me, right?" he asked, and his gaze was imploring. She _did_ , she was just a little nervous, but he continued waiting patiently for her even when the other sirens had all gone in and finally, she placed her hand in his. Len gently pulled her along and she held her breath when he tugged her into the water, the door swinging shut behind them.

The first thing she realised was that the water was pleasantly warm. Maybe it was because of whatever Ian did to her just now. She could see into the water, and now that she was actually in the tank it didn't look like there was any bottom or surface – she couldn't even see the glass wall. The water just stretched forever around her, like she had suddenly been dropped in the middle of the ocean. She was holding her breath, but Len looked at her and suddenly she heard him speak into her mind, his voice clear as day. _"Breathe."_

With his voice came an involuntary relaxing of her lungs and she inhaled, half-expecting to choke from water gushing into her mouth, but to her surprise there was nothing. In fact, it felt pretty much the same as breathing normally, though there was a faint salty smell that she supposed came from the water around her. Was this also because of what Ian did?

She didn't even feel wet. Her clothes weren't weighing her down or anything – she could move as freely as she did on dry land. Even without her trying she was floating in the blue water, and it was the first time she felt so light and _free_. She wasn't the strongest swimmer in the world but in this aquarium, she felt like she could swim anywhere she wanted. Was this how the sirens felt when they went underwater? It was…pretty enviable, actually.

" _Let's go._ " Len didn't speak but she could hear his voice, and the other sirens began to swim as one, their figures reminding her of sharks cutting through the water. She knew she couldn't swim as quickly or gracefully as they did, but Len grabbed her hand and dragged her through the water and she ended up ahead of the rest, following their king. Her long hair streamed around her face as they swam, and she wondered where they were heading to, if they even had a destination in mind. It was so peaceful here, so quiet and serene.

Len paused, and she stopped with him, looking around – the sirens all came to a halt as well, but they were looking straight ahead of them. She couldn't make out anything in front of her, but suddenly Len smiled, and he reached forward, his hand gliding down an invisible curve. She screamed when, literally centimetres away from her face, a yellow eye opened – the eyeball alone was half the size of her body. The creature recoiled at her shriek, and she looked at the rest of it – a giant, unfathomably massive sea monster materialised bit by bit in front of them, and she felt her voice die in her throat as she stared up at it.

" _That's Levi. Short for Leviathan, my pet kraken,_ " Len supplied helpfully when she turned to him with a look of panic on her face. " _A real beauty, isn't he? I had him since he was a wee baby, scarcely longer than my forearm. He's really grown!"_ Len continued, and Miku looked back at the kraken and wondered what exactly Len's definition of beauty was.

The kraken, for all intents and purposes, looked like a giant squid that had grown into truly jaw-dropping proportions. She only knew about krakens from movies she watched in the past, and she had never once expected that they could be _real_. She couldn't even see where the kraken ended or began – all she could make out was the giant expanse of flesh before her, the many tentacles, the enormous _eye_ , and she was absolutely terrified.

The kraken seemed to be studying her as well, its visible eyeball staring in her direction. She gulped. Did giant squids eat humans? She only remembered the kraken smashing up ships, but she didn't remember anything about it eating people…but then again what else would it eat if not people? Was it thinking of her as its next meal?

" _You look hungry. Aren't you, Levi?_ " She heard Rei's voice and saw the dark siren drifting over to the kraken, one hand reaching out to stroke the kraken's head. The kraken made a strange noise at Rei's touch – she didn't know how to describe it, it was like a low-pitched screech, but the kraken seemed comfortable around Rei. She swallowed.

" _Yes, probably time to feed him,_ " Len mused. He motioned at Miku to get back and she did as he indicated, swimming to float behind Yuma. Len slowly raised a hand and all of a sudden, three sharks appeared from out of nowhere – they looked like great white sharks to her, and she winced. She had always been a bit afraid of sharks, thanks again to all the movies she had seen when she was younger. The sharks swam for a little while around Len, seeming a little disoriented, and then suddenly the kraken's tentacles _moved_.

The whole thing was over in seconds – she barely managed to see what happened. The kraken moved and it opened its massive beak-like mouth, its tentacles wrapping around two of the sharks, and in a flash, the three sharks were all gone and the waters were still. She knew that the kraken had eaten the sharks, but she was stunned by just how quick the entire process was – she would not have expected something so big to move so fast.

She was still shaken by what she just saw when she felt a sudden disturbance in the water, strong pulses rocking against her body from below – she glanced down and instinctively, she pounced on Yuma, clutching onto him as she shrieked. A giant shape whooshed past her, and when it turned she could see a giant, gaping maw full of serrated teeth, a strong, powerful body that looked just like a shark's – she abruptly realised that it _was_ a shark, a colossal one of the likes she could never have imagined.

" _Oh, that's Cara. She's normally a bit shy, but I guess she's hungry too._ " Len beckoned to the giant shark, which swam slowly over to him, circling him in a way that almost reminded Miku of a puppy – if a shark could be compared to a puppy. She had to wonder how many of these gigantic sea monster pets Len owned. If she saw another one, she might faint.

Yuma gave her a sympathetic look, and Miku noticed that she was still holding on to his shoulders. Embarrassed, she let go of the taller man. " _Len still has two more pets. I don't sense them nearby, but it might be best to warn you. We don't want you to die of shock."_

" _Levi is his favourite,_ " Piko chirped, floating towards them. His silver hair floated around his face in the water, reminding her of a halo – he looked almost angelic. " _Though Len does lavish plenty of attention on all his pets. They'd get restless otherwise, being locked in here all the time when once, many centuries ago, they roamed the oceans freely_."

She noticed a flash of movement out of the corners of her eyes and saw that SeeWoo was now playing with Cara, swimming quickly around the shark to distract her, while Rei was occupied with the kraken. Len was swimming towards her, and Yuma and Piko backed away slightly to make space for him. There was a brilliant smile on Len's face, the kind of smile she rarely saw because it made him look so open, like he had no secrets to hide.

" _I have two other pets. A hydra and a whale. But they're less likely to approach when there are strangers, so maybe you'll see them next time,_ " Len told her, and Miku's head spun at the mention of the hydra. Whales sounded normal enough, but a hydra? Wasn't that a serpent with multiple heads that would re-grow no matter how many times each head got cut off? She would question if they really existed, but then Len was here, and Len himself was a siren, a supposedly mythical being. It wasn't that far a stretch to believe in a hydra.

So, these were the pets that Len used, once upon a time, to wreak havoc on the mortal plane. She nodded to herself, still rather shocked but no longer speechless. It was always good to know more about her boyfriend, even if it wasn't something that she…expected.

She felt his arms slip around her waist and she gasped, little bubbles escaping from her mouth – Len pulled her back against him and her head bumped into his shoulder. " _Are you afraid of my lovelies?_ " he asked. He was still smiling, but at the same time he looked more curious than anything, and she wondered if she ought to pretend or tell him the truth.

But how would she even reply to begin with? She didn't know how the sirens were talking to her, but she didn't have telepathic abilities. None of them had moved their mouths. So, she just resorted to shrugging and Len paused, studying her face intently. " _You don't have to be scared of them. They wouldn't find you interesting enough to eat – you're too tiny, and you don't have enough meat on your bones._ " He grinned. " _Though I don't suppose hearing that makes you feel any better_."

She wrinkled her nose but didn't answer him. Len glanced up, meeting Yuma's gaze, and something unspoken passed between the two. Ian, who had been floating a little distance away from the rest of the group, suddenly turned and dived down – Miku followed his figure as he swam far, far below, watching as the darkness swallowed him whole. " _I want to show you something. You'll only ever get to see it here, so it's a good chance._ " Len gripped her hand tight, and then he started going up towards the surface – she wondered where he was bringing her, if there actually was open air somewhere up above.

It was so peaceful, the azure water. Everything was quiet, and she could hear her body, the blood that flowed through her veins, the steady beat of her heart. She could hear herself thinking. The water rippled around them, never ending, never changing. Time passed, the minutes and seconds ticking by, and she began to wonder where they were going, if Len had decided to bring them on some kind of infinite swim through the glass tank.

But a few moments after she had that thought, she realised the light from above seemed to be getting stronger, and she had to narrow her eyes a little as the radiance intensified – it looked like they were finally approaching the surface. Len glanced at her and she gave him a smile, assuring him that she was fine, and he turned his attention back to the water. He broke the surface first, and when she came up, she was gasping – breathing air was so different compared to when they were underwater. She felt her lungs expanding as she inhaled.

Miku looked around her, bobbing in the water – there was no need to keep herself afloat, the water seemed to buoy her up without her even trying. Overhead was a tranquil sky, with fluffy white clouds dotting the expanse of blue. The sunlight was bright, but it lacked warmth – it glittered off the surface of the water, and she had to squint against the glare.

"Where are we?" She had no doubt this was not Len's apartment, it was still night-time there. They were elsewhere now, but she couldn't even begin to guess where – much like the glass tank itself there was nothing but azure waters and blue skies, going on as far as the eye could see. She could find no identifiable landmarks or islands in the vicinity. It was just the sky, the sea and Len beside her, his golden hair reflecting the sunlight, his blue eyes shimmering like the waves.

"Nowhere," he answered, and it was a bit of a relief to hear his voice out loud now, rather than in her mind all the time – it would take a while before she could get used to hearing Len's voice directly in her head. "This is not part of the mortal world. It's a dreamscape, in a way. A fantasy. This place is where all sirens spring from, and where we will all eventually return to."

"So, it's your childhood home?" she asked. He nodded, a wistful look on his face, and she looked around her once more – again she saw nothing but the sea, stretching all the way until the edge of the world. "Are there other sirens around?"

She was a little wary of other sirens potentially showing up. Though Len was the king of the sirens, Miku didn't want to meet anyone else today. It was tiring enough getting to know the rest of the sirens who stayed in the apartment and bumping into Len's monstrous pets. She didn't have the energy to handle yet another new person.

"Yes, but this is a huge domain. We probably won't run into any of them unless I summon them to me. Most of the sirens stay in these waters, actually. We used to make our home in the oceans on the mortal plane, but lately…it's been getting difficult." His face didn't change, but she could guess what he was referring to. Len had always been passionate about the environment and climate change, and now that she knew who he was, it made a lot of sense. "Over time we decided it was easier to return to our roots. And here we are."

"Is that why you don't like humans?" she asked. The sunlight touched her face, and it felt strangely cool. Len met her gaze, his expression unreadable.

"I don't hate all humans. Just most of them." He paused, then his lips curved into a smile. "Let's not talk about things like that. Did you know, when I was first born here centuries ago, this ocean looked exactly the same as it does now? That's why we all moved to the mortal world. Into that apartment. Because time never passes here, and it gets…boring."

"What do you do all the time?" Unconsciously, she reached out to him, resting her hand against his shoulder – his voice was filled with nostalgia, and she thought about how old he was, how many memories he had accumulated across his many centuries of existence. How it must feel to flip through page after page in his mind, knowing that no matter how much time had passed he would always remain the same. He would always be Kagamine Len.

"Nothing. Sirens, we don't do anything. We live. We eat. We sleep. And sometimes, we die." He sighed, and she felt him reach up and cover her hand with his. "I just wanted to show you this. Our reality. People want to be immortal, to have time freeze for them. But this is the truth. How terrible eternity can be." His voice had faded to a whisper, and they just stayed together for a while and observed the horizon. Even the clouds didn't move.

"What do you wish for?" She tightened her fingers around his shoulder. Len laughed then, a quiet laugh, and when he looked at her, for the first time she could see his actual age in his expression – all along he had looked so timeless, so youthful, but now the hollowness of countless centuries gazed out from within his blue eyes and he looked so _worn_.

"The happiness of my people. But sometimes," he glanced away from her, "sometimes I wish I could be selfish. Sometimes, I wish I could just lock my memories away. Then I'd drown myself in the depths of the sea and let myself get torn apart by the sharks."


	11. Chapter 11

Miku tossed and turned. It was no fault of her mattress; this bed was amazingly comfortable. But she couldn't get Len's words out of her mind.

It was troubling, listening to him speak. Right after he told her about his deepest wish he turned to her with a flippant grin and the sunlight touched him gently, illuminating his golden hair and fair skin – _let's go back,_ he said, and she didn't know what to reply so she simply followed him, thoughts swirling in her head.

He wanted to die. Len's deepest wish was to die. And it made her think, what kinds of memories and experiences did he have to go through, such that he would yearn for death? No wonder Ian was concerned about his leader.

People said curiosity killed the cat, and that was the only reason she had yet to take action – she knew that the chamber in the basement could give her an idea, some insight into Len's past that could answer all her questions. But she would very much prefer not to throw herself headfirst into danger, and she doubted Len would agree to her taking a trip down his memory lane – he hadn't seemed very pleased the first time, and there was probably no way to guarantee her safety if she proceeded.

Maybe she ought to talk to Ian? Len mentioned that the second-in-command was only at university to keep an eye on him. Ian would probably be able to explain why Len was so… _nihilistic_. Was that the right word to use?

She buried her face in the pillow, sighing to herself. Of all the new things she had learnt over the past few days, Len's wish was what shocked her the most. Around her he was always playful, ready with a smile on his face whenever she needed his support or encouragement – there was the occasional flicker of _something else,_ but she never thought too much about it, never thought there was anything hurting underneath the collected exterior. Memory Len was the first time she knew there was anything _more_ to him, but even then, she still wouldn't have expected this.

As his girlfriend, would he be willing to tell her more if she asked? Would he want to unpack whatever pain or emptiness he felt together with her? She didn't doubt that he liked her, but she questioned whether he'd want to do something so intimate. He hadn't even told her, nor did he _want_ to tell her, that he was a siren until she accidentally stumbled across the information. What were the odds that he'd tell her exactly what was on his mind? She didn't even need to ask him to know.

The chamber seemed like both a good and absolutely terrible idea. She curled up in bed and jammed the pillow over her ears, trying to block out her thoughts. She shouldn't be interested in Len's memories just because of her own selfish curiosity, and if he didn't want to give her permission then she didn't want to think about the idea either. A memory of his wistful smile flashed across her mind and she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. None of this was working out. She couldn't get to sleep.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and she shot up in bed. Her breath hitched. "Miku, can I come in?" It was Len's voice, and she hastily said yes, he could come in if he wanted to. There was a pause, then her boyfriend slipped inside her room, the door closing quietly behind him. She wondered what he was doing here, so late at night. Len had classes tomorrow. Not that he went most of the time, anyway.

He approached her bed, and she just stared at him, her eyes wide. In the back of her mind, she wondered whether he had night vision, like cats, or if his ability to see now was hampered by the darkness the same way hers was. "You can't sleep?" he whispered, sitting carefully on the bed beside her. She shook her head, and she heard him exhale. "Me neither," he admitted, reaching out to stroke her hair.

"How did you know?" she asked. Unless he had been watching her from his room or something. There wasn't a hidden camera near her bed or anything, was there?

"I can hear you moving in bed. It's distracting." She thought he was smiling but she couldn't be sure, not with the room so dark. "Don't apologise for that," he added before she could say anything. "It's only distracting because I can't sleep either. If neither of us can sleep, then we should just stay up together, right?"

"Don't you have school, though?" she breathed. "And there's choir practice in the afternoon as well…" She felt a finger press softly against her lips and she paused. His arm slid around her shoulders and pulled her against his body, and she sighed when her head leant against his chest, his figure solid and comforting. After all that time spent worrying about her boyfriend, it was nice to just feel him here with her.

"Let me stay here. Please." And she couldn't argue with him, not when for once he sounded so vulnerable, and so she closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. He reminded her of the ocean. He always had, even before she found out he was a siren. Len had a distinct scent that made her think of sun-kissed beaches and the serenity of water, something that was uniquely indescribable. "It's nice to have you around, Miku."

"Did you want me to come and stay at your place?" she asked. The things he was saying made it sound like he wanted her here even before she suggested this arrangement. She could feel the vibrations in his chest as he laughed.

"I've been thinking about it. I just didn't know how to broach the subject, since at that point you didn't know who I was. And I intended to keep it that way." He leant his chin on the top of her head, and she felt safe like this, enveloped by him. "You know, if I had things my way you still wouldn't know I was a siren. You would lead your human life with me, free and happy, and when we graduated, I would make up some crap excuse about moving permanently abroad and hope that was enough to make you break up with me. Because I really do think you deserve better than this."

She exhaled, a little hurt. "Len, I know I agreed to no marriage, but I wouldn't have broken up with you just because you were moving overseas. I'm not that kind of person, you know. I'd want to persevere and see whether we could maintain our relationship despite the distance. I can't believe you thought that would work."

He laughed again. "Yes, I know that now. Looking back, I can't believe I thought my plan would work either. You're too stubborn." His fingers ran through her hair, and she closed her eyes – it was so relaxing. "Do you know how mortal you are?" When he next spoke, his voice was quiet – she could barely make out what he was saying, even though he was right behind her. "You live. You breathe and you hurt and you age and one day, you'll die. Are you sure you want to be with me? No matter how old you become, I will stay this way. And I will continue to exist long after you die."

Miku paused, thinking over his words. She never fully thought about the differences between them before. How even when she was old and wrinkled, he would still be Len, bright and beautiful, someone who looked no older than his twenties. And when her body and bones crumbled into dust he would still exist – he would still be here, Kagamine Len, ruler of the sirens, one of the ocean gods. Her chest felt a little uncomfortable as these thoughts ran through her mind, and she inhaled deeply.

"I think that's something you have to think about as well, right? I could say yes and continue to live with you until I'm dead. But you are the one…you will be the one left behind. You will be the one to suffer," she answered slowly, thinking over her words as she spoke. She felt guilty raising this, but it was the truth, wasn't it?

He pulled her a little bit closer, so she was now flush against his body. "It's foolish to fall for a mortal," he said, and he sounded tired. "For immortals like ourselves, it makes sense to avoid your kind entirely. Humans are greedy and exploitative, and even those who are not do not live for long. Compared to us, your lives are fleeting. Scarcely more than the blink of an eye." He sighed. "Maybe I should have avoided the mortal realm altogether, but I'd rather have this little spark of _something_ than to just stay in a placid eternity forever, never experiencing anything new."

"Is that your biggest fear? Boredom?" she asked. She turned her head a little so that she was looking up at him, even though she couldn't really see his face. He leant down and she felt his lips brush against her forehead.

"Isn't that what we all fear?" he answered. "Once you have all your needs satisfied, the next thing you look for is stimulation. Something that gives meaning to your life, your existence. And when you can't find it, you begin to question the need to live. Why were we born? What purpose does my existence serve? Questions like that."

She could honestly say that she had never thought about such things before. She was too occupied with school and her studies most of the time to give in to such crippling existential doubt. "That sounds really…difficult."

"Ah, well anything that's too easy doesn't deserve to be done." She felt his breath against her ear, and she shivered. "Did you ever wonder what could kill an immortal being?" he suddenly asked, and she froze. Given what he said earlier about wishing to die, this abrupt question felt very sensitive. She had to tread carefully.

"No, I've never wondered about such things," she said. It felt like a safe response.

"I want you to know. Just in case anything happens and I'm not there to protect you." His grip on her tightened a little. "And I trust you won't do anything to the sirens under my care. There are a few points on our bodies where, if you apply just the _right_ amount of pressure, you can incapacitate us." One of his hands released her, and she felt his fingers brush gently against the back of her neck.

"Here's one point, right here, at the nape of the neck." His fingers lingered on her skin. She didn't know why, but her skin suddenly felt so _sensitive_ – she had to bite back a moan when he touched her. She felt his hand slide around her body until it was right underneath her breasts, and she bit her lip. "There's another point here. Where the diaphragm is." He pressed lightly into her skin, and she inhaled.

She felt really warm, all of a sudden. Which didn't make sense because there was a nice, cooling breeze tonight – courtesy of Len's godly powers, apparently – and she had actually been feeling a little cold until he entered her room. "The final one is a little harder to reach. It's at the back of our knees." His hand glided over her skin, going from her chest down her waist, past her thighs – she could feel him leaning over her as he reached for her legs, and she exhaled shakily, closing her eyes.

His fingers gripped her knee, and she resisted the urge to press her thighs together. She had no idea why his touch was exciting her so much when he was just trying to teach her how to protect herself, and it was embarrassing to think about. "Len," she said his name and her voice didn't sound like her – he stilled when his name rolled off her tongue and she could feel him waiting for her to continue. "I…" Her words failed her, and she thought it might be easier to show him what she was thinking of instead. So, she touched his face, running her fingers over his jaw, his cheeks, his lips – when she found his mouth in the darkness she reached up and kissed him.

Len made a sound she never heard him make before and she moaned when he kissed her back, his arms wrapping tightly around her body as she leant into him. "This isn't good for you," he mumbled, their breaths mingling, but she shook her head – it was hard to think about what was _good_ for her and what wasn't when he was so close, when he was touching her this way. It made her dizzy. She went back into the kiss and he didn't protest this time, not even when she tugged at his shirt, her fingers fisting the soft cotton. His bare skin was smooth, warm to the touch.

He rolled them over and she felt her back press against the mattress, his hands on either side of her head. One of her arms wrapped around his waist, and she gasped when she felt his teeth on her neck. They were surprisingly sharp, but he was gentle, and it didn't hurt at all. He didn't bite down. Her free hand ran through his silky hair, and she heard him draw in a breath when she dragged her fingers against his scalp.

He sank into her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "You still have no idea what you're doing," he whispered. "You smell like excitement and nerves and fear, and you don't even know." She was hardly paying attention to what he said – all she could focus on was the soft murmur of his voice and how the sound of it seemed to do strange things to her body. It felt like she was burning up, but she didn't have a fever. She craved his touch, his nearness, the sound of her name falling from his lips.

"Just touch me already," she told him, full of impatience, and she could feel the vibrations against her throat when he laughed, shaking his head. "Len…" she was almost whining now, but he sat up instead, letting her go. The cool night breeze washed over her skin, and suddenly she felt almost naked. Without him pressing into her, the room felt cold. "Why do you keep teasing me?" she muttered.

Len just got off her bed and pulled her blanket up, wrapping it around her so that she was sheltered from the wind. "Because I refuse to rush into something that we both know you aren't ready for." He kissed her on the forehead. She turned away, petulant, and he chuckled, clearly amused by her antics. "I told you to go and think about it the other time, didn't I? I know you haven't properly considered, so I won't do anything until then. Go weigh the consequences of your actions first."

He stepped away from the bed, heading back out of the room. Right before he left, he paused and she had the feeling he smiled, though she couldn't really see his face. "Good night," he called, and she just grunted in response, still disappointed that nothing more happened between them. The door closed softly behind him.

She sank into the pillow and closed her eyes, tucking the blanket under her chin. The warmth of his touch still lingered on her skin, and she shivered, recalling the prick of his teeth against her neck. Whenever Len smiled, she could swear he had perfectly normal teeth, but what she had felt earlier seemed closer to fangs.

It was difficult to remember sometimes that he was a carnivore who ate her species. When he touched her or kissed her or looked at her with that playful glint in his eyes – the last thing she wanted was to think about her safety or how dangerous he was. Sometimes it was difficult to remember that he was anything but human.

Drowsiness came faster now, and she could already feel her thoughts becoming less coherent. She drew in a deep breath and turned to rest on her side, snuggling into the pillow. Unconsciously, her lips curved into a smile. The bed smelled like Len.

* * *

It was close to noon by the time she got up. She stretched and yawned, feeling a lot more relaxed than she did last night – the bed was comfortable, the pillows were soft, and to tell the truth, she hadn't had such a good night's rest in a while.

"You want some food, Miku?" Rin called from outside the room, and Miku blinked, blearily rubbing her eyes. How did the siren know Miku was awake? Their hearing must be really, _really_ good. "I've made some pancakes! Or at least I _tried_ …"

Pancakes sounded excellent. Though Miku was a little suspicious of Rin's cooking. The way her voice trailed off towards the end of her sentence did not inspire much confidence. "Thanks, Rin!" she answered, sitting up and swinging her legs off the bed. Grabbing her hairbrush from the dresser, she attempted to get the tangles out of her long hair, squinting at herself in the mirror – a flash of something dark caught her eye, and she tugged at her collar, staring at the little black dots on her skin.

They looked like…bite marks? She looked closer, her hand stilling. This did seem to be where Len had nibbled her last night. The two dots, though small, were noticeable on her pale skin. They were identical, tiny blue-black bruises – she didn't think there would be any problems covering them with makeup. But knowing that they were left on her skin by Len made her blush a little. Was this a hickey? She thought that hickeys were caused by _sucking_ , not biting. Unless this was something else.

It was definitely because of Len though, because she knew these dots weren't on her neck yesterday. Shrugging it off, she pulled her collar higher and continued to brush her hair. She could just ask him about it later.

When she stepped out of the room, she could smell something faintly burnt and her nose immediately wrinkled. Following the smell, she went all the way to the kitchen and saw Rin sitting forlornly at the bar counter, staring down at two plates of – were those really pancakes? They looked more like toast. Circular pieces of charred toast.

"Where's Lenka?" Miku asked. She didn't want to immediately ask what happened to the pancakes in case she hurt Rin's feelings or something. Rin perked up at the sound of her voice, though she still looked rather dejected.

"Playing with Ian and Yuma. They're like her babysitters when Len isn't around. She thinks I'm boring." Rin poked the plate in front of her. "Len's at school now, by the way," she added, causing Miku to raise an eyebrow. "I know, absolutely shocking. But he said he wanted to show his face for once, so yeah, he's not in right now."

That explained the pancakes. She had a strong feeling that Len wouldn't allow his sister near the kitchen if he was around. She didn't even know how Rin obtained the ingredients necessary to cook. It hadn't seemed like Len kept flour or eggs or…well, _anything_ in the kitchen.

"First time?" she asked, taking a seat next to Rin and staring down at the pancakes. She didn't know if it was coincidence or perhaps a testimony to Rin's astounding cooking ability, but she swore the pancakes had faces. Their open mouths were screaming at her, begging her to put them out of their misery. Rin nodded.

"I mean, most of the time we just order takeout, so I hardly cook…but I thought you would be hungry." She shrugged, and Miku felt rather touched – she hadn't expected Rin to think of her. Granted, the food looked barely edible, but she had to give credit to Rin for trying. "You shouldn't eat it. You might get food poisoning."

"No, you tried to cook for me, so it's the least I could do!" Miku jabbed a fork into the pancake and winced as the metal scraped against the burnt surface – this was clearly a stupid idea, but Rin looked so hopeful that she couldn't just back out now.

She managed to cut a piece of…crust and raised it to her mouth. The blackened chunk did not smell any more appetising than it looked. Rin was watching her very closely, and Miku swallowed, hoping that her stomach wouldn't hate her for doing this. Praying that there might be some deity up above willing to protect her, she opened her mouth and bit the burnt thing off the fork, chewing as quickly as she could to avoid tasting it. Her tongue instinctively flexed, trying to retch, but she forced herself to smile and ignored her body's reaction to what she just swallowed.

Never again. "I really…appreciate the effort," she managed to say, feeling her eyes sting. It felt like she just swallowed a piece of charcoal. How Rin managed to burn it so badly was beyond her. "You have reached a new level of culinary innovation." She wasn't lying. She had never tasted anything so terrible. Rin beamed.

"Thank you! I'll cook more for Len when he's back," she cackled, and Miku was just glad that she would no longer be on the receiving end of Rin's cooking. Rin glanced at her, her gaze flitting to her neck, then she reached over and pulled Miku's plate closer to her. "By the way, you'll need heavy concealer for that. They stand out a lot," she said, and Miku instinctively pulled her collar a little higher.

"How did you know they were there?" she asked, feeling her cheeks warm. She was pretty sure her pyjamas were hiding the marks. Rin laughed, and for a moment she looked so much like her twin that Miku was taken aback.

"Miku, sirens leave those kinds of marks on their mates. They serve as a warning for other sirens, and they don't exactly go away…not for a long time, anyway. We can sense them, though humans can't." Rin rolled up her sleeve, revealing her upper arm, and Miku saw a similar set of small bruises on her shoulder. "Neck marks are so obvious though. We generally try not to leave them there. Len must have been a bit careless last night if he forgot." Rin's eyes sparkled with knowing mischief.

"Nothing happened!" And it was the truth. They didn't really get anywhere, in the end. "I was thinking of just using some foundation or something. I don't have concealer."

"I'll lend you some later. We're similar shades, so it should be fine." Rin rolled her sleeve back down. "Maybe someday I'll introduce you to my partner. She doesn't come here, but she's a nice girl. I think you'll like her," she chirped. Miku nodded, surprised that Rin had a partner – Len never mentioned it, and when he told her Rin decided to have Lenka on her own, she just naturally assumed Rin was single.

"I should head to school soon. We have choir practice in the afternoon." She got up from her stool, self-consciously touching her neck again. She didn't want anyone in the choir to see and comment on the marks. "Can I borrow your concealer?"

"My room, check the dresser, drawer on the right." Rin bustled around the kitchen, and Miku followed her directions, entering the navy guest room. She found the little bottle of makeup and, staring at her reflection, dabbed some product on her neck – the little marks disappeared, and she sighed, placing the cap back on the concealer.

"A mark?" she mumbled. "Mates?" It sounded so strange. For someone who was insistent on them not marrying or anything, Len was sending a lot of weird signals. They probably should have a talk about this later.


	12. Chapter 12

"You _seriously_ didn't do anything?" Gumi pestered her, flinging an arm around Miku's shoulders. Miku blushed, avoiding her friend's curious stare.

"I know you were hoping for some news, but I swear nothing happened," she repeated. Which was _true_. Gumi let out a gasp of horror and started shaking her, much to her chagrin – she could feel her eyeballs rattling around in her head.

"You're _at his place_! You had _every opportunity_ to jump his very jumpable bones!" Gumi was all but shrieking, and Miku hastily looked around, shushing her friend. Fortunately, most people were used to Gumi overreacting about things and she had barely drawn any attention. "Miku, if I were you, I'd have just stripped naked and laid myself on his bed. Maybe with a ribbon around my waist," she sighed.

"Don't be ridiculous. That's practically sexual harassment," Luka pointed out, and Miku nodded vehemently, grateful for Luka's interjection. She couldn't deal with Gumi when she was behaving like this.

"Hmm, what's this I hear about sexual harassment?" Miku froze at the sound of Len's voice and she turned her head slightly to see her boyfriend standing there, one eyebrow raised. Gumi looked like someone just told her she won the lottery. Her mouth was wide open, though Miku could see a scary glint in her eyes.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Miku quickly pushed him away, wishing that he hadn't decided to show up _now_ of all times – she hadn't been able to find him the entire afternoon until choir practice was about to start, and even then she couldn't go talk to him because he was in a different section. Now was their break and before she could approach him, Luka and Gumi had each taken one arm and marched her away to a corner to grill her about staying at her boyfriend's house.

At least Luka asked relatively normal questions, such as what Len's house was like. Miku was happy to answer – he was pretty well-off, he had a nice apartment, living with him was definitely a step-up from campus accommodation – but Gumi hadn't been as interested in listening to that. Why did Len only decide to appear now?

"Nothing? Really?" And the knowing smirk on his face made Miku realise that he probably knew exactly what was going on, but she glared at him and pushed him back to his section and told him to _stay_ before she marched back to her friends.

When she glanced back, Len was being distracted by his section mates, and she exhaled in relief, knowing that he wouldn't come to disturb her again for the next couple of minutes, at least. "How could you not want to hit on _that_?" Gumi was practically swooning, and Miku rolled her eyes – if only she knew the truth.

"It is so _rude_ to drool over Miku's boyfriend, you should stop." Luka poked Gumi's forehead, and the green-haired girl just stuck out her tongue, waving Luka's hand away. "Don't you ever get bothered by her?" Luka turned to ask Miku.

Miku shrugged. "I mean, I can see why she's all nuts about Len, so I understand. It's just that dating him isn't as easy as it seems," she absentmindedly added, unable to prevent herself from peeking at him again. Len was laughing at something one of the others must have said, and she was suddenly reminded of his feelings towards humans – did he really think whatever he heard was funny, or was he just playing along to avoid standing out? Did he actually _like_ anyone from his section?

"Why not?" Gumi was peering at her now, apparently surprised by her comment, and Miku abruptly realised what she had accidentally let slip.

"Oh, nothing! It's just that he's super good-looking, and sometimes I can't help but feel a little insecure," she fibbed, proud of herself for coming up with something so fast. And she thought it was a pretty believable excuse too.

She did feel that way in the beginning. There was less of that now since throughout their two months of dating Len made it very clear he had no eyes for anyone else. To be honest, it was still kind of strange, especially since Len's reason for liking her was because she cared for him. _Anyone_ could care for him, so why her specifically?

But well, now she knew what he was, she didn't have to be afraid anymore. In fact, she'd pity any girl who tried to fling herself at Len, completely oblivious to his true nature. "I see. Yeah, I can understand why his looks would make you insecure." Gumi nodded sagely, and Miku beamed, glad she had come up with a decent white lie for once. "But then again I've never seen him look at another girl. Not even Akita Neru, and we all know she's one of the most followed girls on campus."

"Neru is clearly not Len's type," Luka said. "I've never seen someone so vain. Being aware that you're pretty is one thing. Shoving it in everyone's faces is another. Did you see her complaining on Stories about being offered another modelling job?"

"I don't understand why you follow her if you hate her that much," Gumi drawled. "I don't like her either, but you don't see me stalking her _every_ move."

Luka glowered. "I'm hate-following her!" she snapped. "And I need to keep myself updated on every stupid thing she's doing!" There was bad history between Luka and Neru – they had been in the same class throughout middle and high school, and apparently, some incident on the cheerleading squad had started a petty feud between the two girls. Luka didn't like to talk about it but Miku knew it involved her friend's ex and cheating, so she had a pretty good guess what happened.

"Anyway," Luka continued, "we _know_ that Len won't stray, but don't let that piece of trash get anywhere near your boyfriend. I saw on Stories that she's dropping into random Music classes in the hopes of seeing him. Luckily Len likes to skip school, or she probably would have bumped into him by now. She's getting desperate."

"Why must she go after Len?" Miku asked, voice plaintive. "There are other good-looking guys in school. Like Ian Planetes. I think he's single."

Yes, Ian was also a siren, but he was _genuinely_ handsome as well, and if what Neru wanted was a pretty accessory, she thought Ian would fit the role. Miku was fairly sure that Ian would do anything Len ordered him to do, even if that included acting as a human's boyfriend. Though this was assuming Len was even bothered by Neru in the first place. Miku had the feeling that Len might not even know who Neru was.

"It's like a showcase of who's the best, you know," Gumi explained. "Neru is super popular, right? _Supposedly_ ," she added, noticing Luka's glare. "She has a decent-sized online following and I think she has lots of followers from our school too. If she can get Len, who's widely agreed to be one of the most handsome guys attending this dump – or one of the most handsome guys ever, period – it's going to add to her clout. Besides, you have to agree, they'd probably look really good together."

" _You_ look good with Len too, Miku," Luka quickly added, prodding Gumi when she noticed Miku's crestfallen expression. Gumi hastily apologised, but Miku just waved it off, laughing – she knew her friend didn't mean to hurt her feelings.

Honestly, Miku was more preoccupied thinking about Akita Neru. This was the first she had heard of Neru actively popping into Music classes, looking for Len. She had always known that girls drooled after her boyfriend, but she didn't know Neru was one of them too. She could probably have any guy she wanted on campus, so why was she going after Len? Or was there some kind of misunderstanding?

She glanced at her boyfriend again. Len was fiddling with his phone now, one hand reaching up to push some loose locks of hair behind his ear. He happened to look up just as she peeked at him, and he shot her a wink, his lips curving up slightly – she blushed and quickly looked away, suddenly very much aware of her heart beating inside her chest.

It didn't help when they went back to practice after their break and the conductor called upon Len to perform the solo bit, because of course, Len always got the solo. She had to stand there holding a high note with the rest of the sopranos as he sang in a voice as sweet as honey, and she thought about how unfair it was that being a siren, he was naturally so much better at singing than everyone else.

* * *

"I'm just curious. You know how the myths say that sirens have voices so beautiful that humans would go mad just trying to get nearer to them?" she asked.

Len blinked. "Yeah, what about it?" They were walking home together – Len said he got a ride from Ian to school in the morning, so he didn't drive, and Miku thought it was nice weather to take a walk, and so here they were. It was evening, and the sun was setting – the rosy glow illuminated everything softly, and it was so pretty.

"I don't feel that way, though. I mean, when I listen to you sing. And it's not as if the rest of the choir goes mad when you sing solos either. Do the myths exaggerate?" She frowned. She had been thinking about it ever since choir practice ended today.

Maybe she should have put two and two together the moment she found out he was a siren, but she honestly forgot until he was singing in front of everyone and she thought about how funny it would be if people discovered he was a siren and that was why his singing was so lovely – then she realised it was odd that his voice wasn't driving people mad. That was the whole point of the siren myth, wasn't it?

He looked amused. "We can decide when we want to use our powers, and most of the time we prefer not to. The last thing I need is mortals clambering all over me in an attempt to show their devotion. Why? Do you want to hear me sing?" he asked.

"Maybe?" She couldn't help her curiosity. Len laughed, shaking his head.

"You'll regret it," he hummed. "But very well. I'll let one of the other sirens sing for you, then. I won't sing," he added when she looked questioningly at him. "I think if all you want is a demonstration, there's no need for me to get involved."

"Are you afraid your voice won't be good enough for me?" she teased. Len blinked – a flicker of emotion crossed his face, though she couldn't identify what that emotion was, and suddenly he sighed.

"No, it's not that. I'm not worried about that at all." He paused. "It's just…the last time I sang for a mortal, I remember it didn't turn out well. That's all I recall, though. That the outcome wasn't pretty." He shrugged. "It's been a while. But anyway," his mood brightened a little, "what I _can_ say is that as the king, I have a pretty magical voice, and using it on you would be like using a giant hammer to crush an ant."

"So basically, it's unnecessary," she clarified. He grinned, the tension forgotten, and they continued making their way home – but Miku felt a bit strange thinking about Len's reaction to her words, and she wondered if he had abandoned that particular memory in the chamber. Maybe that was why he couldn't remember.

Anyway, since the two of them were walking out here now and Len looked like he was in a good mood, she figured this was as good a time to ask as any. "Len. I wanted to talk to you about this." She pointed at her neck, tugging her collar down a little. Though she had hidden the marks with concealer, she didn't _forget_ that they were there, and knowing that these marks were intended for mates made her cheeks warm a little. Len averted his gaze, but he looked uncomfortable.

"Uh, yeah. What about that?" He scratched his head, blatantly avoiding her stare. She let go of her collar. "Did Rin explain what those marks mean?"

"She said these are marks sirens leave on their mates." It was weird saying this out loud. She always thought that _mate_ was a very animalistic term to use – who would have thought that one day, she'd be using the word to describe her situation? "And I'm just wondering about that, because didn't you say we can't get married?"

Len exhaled, turning to look at her – he seemed almost embarrassed, which was pretty rare for him. She couldn't recall ever seeing him get embarrassed. "Okay, yeah. I did say that," he answered. "It's pretty dumb, but I kind of…forgot myself last night. Those marks," he gestured at her neck, "are _not_ supposed to be there. But it's good, I guess. No other siren will dare to mess with you now, even if you've never met them before. Isn't that great?" he beamed.

"I guess?" Was there anything else she could say? "I just feel like you're not telling me the full story, though," she added, noticing how fidgety he was. Why was he so surprised that she asked this question, anyway? He should have seen it coming.

"No, don't think too much about it. It's what Rin said – we leave those marks to tell other sirens not to touch our mates. That's pretty much it." He shrugged. "It'll take a while for them to fade. Give it a year or so. Or maybe more. How long they stay on your skin depends on how powerful the marker was, and I'm the king, so…"

"You have no idea how long they will remain on my neck," she concluded, a mild panic rising within her. What if they stayed there for the rest of her life? How many bottles of concealer was that? Should she just make a switch to wearing turtleneck sweaters forever? Could she convince people she had developed a new birthmark?

"Unfortunately." Len's smile turned pained. "On the bright side, they could be a lot worse. I could have bitten you. And those marks are _way_ more obvious. They're not very pretty," he mused. His comments did not make her feel any better about her situation.

"But if you like me enough to want to, uh, _mark_ me this way, then why can't we get married? I still don't understand," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. She wanted to distract herself from the possibly permanent bruises on her neck. "You previously said that the test was hard, but how hard could it possibly be?"

"Believe me, if I were a mortal woman forced to take that test, I'd choose to let the sirens eat me." Len's answer startled her, and she glanced at his face – the earlier embarrassment was gone, and his expression was blank. She shivered. Suddenly he looked _a lot_ like the memory Len, the one who had so quickly condemned her to death, his face impassive the whole time.

"You don't ever intend to tell me what the test is, do you?" She paused, and he looked wordlessly at her, waiting for her to continue. "I mean…you mentioned that I could ask you anything because you wanted me to make an informed decision. And you'd reply no matter how ugly it gets. So, why can't you tell me about this?"

His gaze softened and he reached for her, his fingers brushing her cheek. "Because you're a stubborn little fool. I can already see you throwing yourself into something unimaginably dangerous for the sake of romance, and I don't _want_ you to do that. Besides," he pinched her cheek, and she winced, waving his hand away, "I said that regarding you finding out more about sirens, Miku. It was so you could decide if you wanted to stay with me, even after knowing the truth. The marriage thing was not a part of it."

Okay, his comment about her being a stubborn fool and a hopeless romantic kind of _stung_ but she didn't rebut him because she knew he was right.

"You told me we couldn't get married because you were a siren, right? Now that I know what you are and I still chose to stay, shouldn't you at _least_ let me know what options I have for the future?" she argued. "Me finding out your true nature got rid of a huge roadblock, didn't it? And…well, marriage can't be off the cards forever."

Len sighed. "How about this? I can go through a _human_ ceremony with you if we do get to that point, and you still want to marry me by then. Does that work?"

She couldn't argue any further, not when his blue eyes were pleading with her like that, not when he sounded so _insistent_. She supposed what he offered sounded like a good enough compromise, _for now_ , so she nodded. Looking relieved, he took hold of her hand and they continued walking. Miku was still curious about why Len kept avoiding the marriage topic, but she decided to hold her tongue for now.

What was marriage like for sirens? Did sirens get married? It sounded like they did if Len specifically agreed to a human ceremony. Maybe Rin could tell her what siren marriage ceremonies were like.

She doubted that all the sirens would have to go through the same test Len mentioned just to get married – she recalled the test was meant to determine if a mortal woman was worthy of becoming the siren queen – but maybe Len's twin could tell her something if he didn't want to talk about it.


	13. Chapter 13

"Is this necessary?" Miku laughed nervously, watching as Rin finished tying the final knot. Len grinned, folding his arms across his chest.

"It's just a precaution. It's for our safety as much as it is for yours." He leant closer, and his face was just inches away from hers. Her eyelids lowered slightly, and she could smell the salty spray of waves crashing against the shore.

"It's uncomfortable though," she mumbled, tugging experimentally against the ropes. Rin had bound her wrists and ankles together, and now she was sitting on the sofa, unable to move. There was a gleam in the her blue eyes that made Miku think she was enjoying this just a _little_ bit too much.

"We can call it off if you want to quit. No pressure," Rin chirped, exchanging a look with her brother. Miku shook her head, determined to sate her curiosity. Rin made a face. "By all means, then. I'll start whenever you want me to…Len?"

Her brother was leaning against his kitchen counter, some distance away from Rin and Miku. "Yeah, go ahead. Just sing enough that she gets a taste of what it sounds like," he answered. Rin nodded and took a deep breath, and Miku bit her lip.

Then the siren began to sing. It started thin, a soft, piercing melody that she could just barely make out, but even as it wavered there was a feral intensity to the music, and it seemed to hook its claws into Miku's very soul, dragging her forward. But Miku could resist it. She closed her eyes and shook her head as the hauntingly beautiful strains of Rin's singing beckoned to her. It was lovely, and she did feel an urge to go closer to the source of the music, but it was not much different from Len's singing during choir practice – if she concentrated, she could ignore the call.

She heard, through the eerily lovely strains of music, Len murmur something. Rin's voice stopped, and she slowly opened her eyes, peering at the two sirens. Both of them looked surprised, though Len less so – Rin was staring at her with her eyes wide and her lips parted. "You resisted," she said. "You're a mortal with immunity."

"Not necessarily immunity." Len's eyes were narrowed. "Piko, come here. I need you." He spoke the words casually, as though Piko was right there in the room, and a few seconds later the silver-haired siren materialised from out of nowhere.

"You called, my liege?" He bowed before Len, who simply sighed and waved his hand. Piko looked up and spotted Rin and Miku, raising an eyebrow. "Do I want to know what's going on?" He eyed Miku, who blushed, trying not to fidget. She could only imagine what Piko might be thinking, looking at her tied up on the sofa.

"Sing for her." Len glanced at Miku, and Piko blinked, looking between her and his king, confusion evident on his face. "She wanted to know what it feels like when we sing for mortals. And somehow, she was able to resist the temptation of Rin's voice."

"Oh, that's very interesting." Piko took a few steps in her direction and she met his gaze, suddenly finding it difficult to concentrate. His beautiful heterochromatic eyes were fixed on her, curiosity glimmering in their depths. "I think it's been a long time since we last saw a human who could do that. Am I right in assuming that you want to know whether she has immunity or just resistance?" he asked.

"Do whatever you wish." Miku glanced at Len, a little nervous about what he said, but his expression was inscrutable; he simply watched, still leaning against the kitchen counter. Piko nodded, a small smile curving his lips, and he approached her, his slender hands reaching out to cup her face. She gasped at his touch.

"The mortals once called me the son of the goddess of love," he whispered. "When Len was feeling particularly generous, he would grant them a sweet, merciful death. I would sing, and my face was the last thing those mortals ever saw." Piko smiled, baring his teeth, and she saw that his canines had sharpened slightly, resembling something closer to fangs. She swallowed, unease growing in her stomach. This did not look good.

He seemed so fragile compared to the other male sirens. He was smaller than them, and he looked so ethereal and pretty with his hair like spun silver and those lovely eyes – but she saw something dark in his gaze that awakened a long-buried instinct deep within her, the urge to run away from the predator now breathing down her neck.

"Tell me, mortal," Piko murmured, "what are your hopes and dreams?"

And then the singing began and Miku's eyes widened. This was _nothing_ like Rin's voice – it started strong, alluring and mysterious, and his voice didn't waver in the slightest. His melody was every bit as haunting, but beyond that, it sounded _sad_ – in his song, she heard the whisper of promises unfulfilled, of dreams broken, but if she followed his voice it could fix everything, it would give her anything she wanted.

His melody was heartbreak and sorrow and promises of a better future all rolled into one, and she felt herself reaching upwards, yearning for the wishes he told her he could grant. His thin fingers were still on her face, and one hand reached up to cup her cheek in an almost loving way. She gazed into his eyes and saw eternity in them. His canines were curved now, fangs that were beautiful and predatory all at the same time, and of course, she would love to offer herself to this _dream_ –

Then she shook her head. No, this wasn't Len. And she would not be giving herself to anyone but Len! She shook her head again, vehemently this time, and the singing stopped. His grip on her consciousness broke and she realised she was now panting, and her wrists hurt. Had she been struggling against her bindings? She had moved forward while Piko was singing and she was now barely seated on the sofa.

Piko looked pleased. "I promise I didn't soften my voice in the slightest. She got out of that herself. Though I believe she might have succumbed if I pushed further," he added as an afterthought. Miku wasn't sure if that was the case, but she didn't want to know either. She shivered, recalling the utter devotion that had bloomed within her when Piko began to sing. She had forgotten herself for a moment – she craved sweet dreams and whispers, Piko's singing dangling before her a fantasy that had seemed so entirely within her grasp. He had promised her everything she could ever want.

But she looked into his eyes and saw his smile and she knew it was a lie. "Is this…is this normal?" she asked. Her voice was trembling. "For humans to break out of the spell on their own?" Her skin felt clammy and for some reason, she was _exhausted_.

"No. It's not normal at all." Len finally left the kitchen and walked over. She shivered when he reached her, his fingers gently touching her cheek. "I'd like to test how far your limits can go…but only if you are willing." His gaze was filled with caution.

"Are _you_ going to sing?" Rin gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth. Piko just stepped away, looking a little uncomfortable at the mention of Len singing. "You haven't – you always _refused_ to sing. You haven't really…no, not in centuries."

"Only if Miku wants me to." Len turned towards her, and there was a soft smile on his face. "I said I wouldn't because I thought Rin would be enough. But you were able to resist her voice, and even Piko's…he's one of the strongest singers we have." His hand reached up, stroking her hair away from her eyes. "I would like to know whether you can listen to _me_ sing without falling for my voice."

She would very much like to hear Len sing. She knew how he sounded during their choir sessions. This would be different. "Okay. I don't mind trying," she said.

He nodded, then turned to Rin and Piko. "You know what to do. Cover your ears," he instructed. Strangely, neither siren questioned Len's order, though Rin pouted a bit as she stuffed her fingers in her ears. Len sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. "If it gets too overwhelming, promise you will tell me to stop. Though I have no idea how self-aware you will be later…"

She agreed, her heart thumping in her chest. She was ready for this. He inhaled, peeked at Rin and Piko once more, then he smiled at her. "Well, here we go."

Len's singing struck her with the force of a tsunami. She could feel herself melting, her body going soft as she sank into herself, drowning in the music. His voice was a single hand reaching into the darkness, promising to drag her out from a watery grave. She was _cold_ and _still,_ so still, and his singing was warmth and life and love and everything she ever wanted. She crawled out from deep within her consciousness, yearning to discard this mortal shell, to curl into the arms of a god who promised her the world – her vision went dark and she couldn't see.

She could only hear and hear she did – the singing was lovely and terrible all at once. It was her mother's gentle, soothing lullaby when she rocked her to sleep. It was the sound of thunder rattling her window during a storm. It was a loving caress down her back, the feeling of butterfly wings against her skin. It was death at sea, drowning in the gaping jaws of a lurking abyss, teeth closing around her neck.

 _I will give you the world and my soul. I will erase all memories of your sins. I will help you discover the truths of the universe. And you will be reborn_. She reached into a blank canvas, her fingers searching for something that wasn't quite _there_. She could sense it, a rift in space-time, the arid winds buffeting her, suffocating her. She was flesh and bones and a heart floating everywhere and nowhere. If she reached just a little further out, she would finally remember. She would know who she really was.

Then the darkness lifted, and she was on her knees, gasping for air, looking up at Len. He just stared down at her with shock all over his face, and she felt trails of warmth going down her cheeks. Tears. They tasted salty. Her ears were ringing, and slowly she realised her lips were parted, and she was screaming.

" _Kill me_." Her voice sounded foreign to her ears. She was sobbing. _"Please, just kill me_."

* * *

Her head hurt. She slowly opened her eyes, groaning quietly – it took her a while to realise she was in bed, her blanket pulled up around her chin.

"Feeling better?" It was Rin's voice. Woozily, she looked to the side – Rin was there, a look of concern on her face. She forced herself to nod, and the other girl exhaled, her blue eyes flooding with relief. "Good. You terrified all of us back there."

"What happened?" Miku asked, trying to sit up. She groaned again as pain shot through her temple, and she rubbed the heel of her hand against her forehead. "My head hurts like crazy. I just remember Len singing…then all of a sudden I'm in bed." Her chest felt tight. Like her heart was caving in on itself. The sensation wasn't one of _pain_ – her chest, her lungs, her heart ached. For now, her head felt worse.

"Ah. You'll have to ask Len exactly what happened, he's the only one who knows. Piko and I had our ears plugged." Rin pursed her lips. "What I do know is that you collapsed halfway through his song and began shrieking, so Len stopped singing and carried you to your room. I've been waiting for you to wake up ever since."

"How long was I out?" she asked, squinting a little. Moonlight shone into the room, illuminating Rin's face. The siren shrugged, glancing out of the window.

"All things considered, not that long. An hour," she said. Miku finally managed to sit up, propping herself against the pillows. "To tell the truth, I'm surprised you're even still sane. Len never allows us to listen to him singing. It's too dangerous – he's so powerful, his voice could severely weaken half of the sirens and incapacitate the other half. Most mortals don't stand a chance. You're made of sturdy stuff, Miku."

Was that a compliment? "Thank you, I guess." She winced as her head throbbed again, but this time she had a vague recollection of her body sinking into dark still waters and she shuddered, wondering where the memory had come from.

"Normally humans don't scream when we sing," Rin continued, talking more to herself than to her. "They just stay silent and mesmerised and deliver themselves to our teeth, like cute little lambs to the slaughter. I wonder why you're different."

"I don't know," she mumbled, closing her eyes. The cold waters threatened to pull her under, and she shook herself, trying to push the vision away. "Rin. The test. Tell me everything about Len's test," she blurted out, desperate to listen to something, _anything_ to distract herself from the darkness in her thoughts. Rin blinked at her.

"Len's test? His test to determine who is worthy of being our queen?" she asked. "Sure, I can tell you…wait." She paused, and Miku looked up, distracted by the note of panic she could hear in Rin's voice. "I don't…I don't remember anything. Why can't I remember? He told me before. I should know. Why don't I know this?"

"Are you sure you know?" Miku asked. Rin nodded frantically, though the shimmer of doubt was now present in her blue eyes. "You can't have just…forgotten, right?"

"No. I can't have." Rin quietened for a moment. "I have an idea. But I don't know if you're able to get out of bed…you're still exhausted, aren't you?"

"I am," Miku admitted. "But I don't want to stay here on my own. I'm not…doing too well right now, mentally. I keep seeing and hearing things." When she closed her eyes, she could hear dry winds whispering, feel them plucking at her skin.

"Oh, Miku." Rin sounded sympathetic. "I'd ask Len to accompany you, but I don't know where he went. I suspect he's searching for his father. To get answers," she clarified when Miku shot her a questioning look. "He should be back by tomorrow."

Len's father? The ocean god? Miku nodded. That sounded like an understandable course of action. She would like some answers too. "I don't want to be on my own, Rin. Let me help you with your idea. I promise I won't slow you down."

"I'm not worried about you slowing me down, Miku." Rin came over and, to Miku's surprise, she wrapped her arms around her, cradling her head against her chest. She felt Rin lean her chin on top of her head, her slim fingers stroking her hair. Rin began to hum a soft, soothing melody, and Miku's eyelids lowered slightly. It was comfortable. She felt protected – the sudden, unexplainable feeling of dread, the strange visions of her drowning in unknown waters, faded from her mind.

Rin withdrew slightly. "Better?" she asked, and Miku nodded. Her headache, while still present, had been noticeably reduced. It was just a dull ache now, one that she could easily ignore. Funny how a simple hug could make her feel so safe. "Len says I'm a horrible mother but even then, I'm still a mother." Rin smiled.

Miku suddenly missed her mother terribly, but she shook her head – right now she had other things to do. She'd call home later. "So, what's this idea you have?"

"Come with me." Rin held her hand, and carefully Miku got out of bed. She felt a little weak, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. "We're going to the basement. To the Chamber of Memory. I think we'll get our answers there." A shiver ran down Miku's spine at the mention of that place, but she believed Rin knew what to do.

They took the elevator down to B3, and it opened into that chilly chamber once again, the blue flames still dancing in the braziers, emitting no heat. As they walked down the stone path, she glanced at the clear, calm waters surrounding them, taking care not to look into their depths. The cold air pricked at her skin and she rubbed her arms, hoping to warm herself up a little. Rin seemed unbothered by the chill.

They stopped right in front of the square she had noticed previously, the square where Len once placed his throne. Rin cleared her throat. " _Memoriae_ , come to me," she said, and Miku blinked as a glowing black ledger appeared in front of them, floating in mid-air. The tome was _thick,_ and it looked ancient – its pages were yellowed, some of them were torn, and the covers of the book were peeling in places.

She looked at the pages and realised they were written on in a script she could not read. "Show me the memories from before the king locked away his trident," Rin commanded. The book obeyed, the pages flipping until it stopped somewhere halfway through the tome. Rin placed a finger on the page, reading whatever was written there, and Miku just shivered beside her, the chill piercing all the way to her bones.

"I knew it," Rin mumbled. "A hundred years left blank just like that. Blank like my memories." She turned to Miku. "It's likely Len tampered with our memories, and with his own as well. No one can remember anything from this period. When I think back to that time, it's just…nothingness. It's like those years never even existed."

"Right before he locked away his trident?" Miku repeated what Rin said earlier, and Rin nodded. "So, these hundred years – there's some kind of connection?"

"Probably." Rin bit her lip. "But I don't know what made him do it. I can't recall anything. Just that one day Len declared he was locking up his throne, his trident and his crown, and he no longer wished to be king. He only still is because no one dares to challenge him. My brother…his power far exceeds that of any king before him. And because he is trapped at the very pinnacle, he is horribly, terribly lonely."

Miku remembered Len's desire to die and a shudder ran through her. "How strong is he?" she asked, her voice quiet. All this time she had been told that Len was the siren king and therefore he had amazing powers. But she never knew exactly how powerful he was. Just that he was an ocean god, and his sirens revered him.

"Do you wish to see?" Rin asked. Miku's head shot up, and she blinked – Rin was looking at her, perfectly serious, one finger lingering on the tome's yellowed pages. "I can easily find a memory here. You can see it with your own two eyes. Len is so much more than the king of the sirens, or even an ocean god. He is a destructive force of nature itself. If you live through his memories, you will understand what I mean."

She hesitated, and Rin's voice softened. "I will be there with you, of course. You need not worry about dying in his memory world. No matter what age, no matter what time, Len will not hurt me. I've always left his memories perfectly unscathed."

Miku nodded. She trusted her. Rin exhaled, then turned back to the book. "Show me the memories that reflect the king's deepest regrets," she said. The book obeyed her again, this time flipping to a page nearer to the beginning of the book. Rin glanced at her. "This is a memory from very, very long ago – over a thousand years at least. He was still young and impulsive then, and quick to anger. He is no longer like this, but I think it is still best to warn you." She paused. "You will see many people die. Are you sure?"

She swallowed. If Rin was explicitly warning her then it was probably a big deal. But she wanted to go through with it. Ever since she woke up there had been a strange feeling in her chest – as though there was a hole in her heart, and she needed to fill it up with something. _Anything_. A memory of Len's smile came to her and she shut her eyes. If she wanted answers to her questions, she'd have to start somewhere.

"Yes. I'm sure." Rin gave her a lingering look, then she slid her hand down the old, brittle page and murmured something in that mysterious language the sirens used – the characters shimmered momentarily on the page, and then they disappeared. Miku gasped, looking around the chamber, and she saw that the water around them was now bubbling, creating white foam that washed up against the stone platform.

"Let's go. Follow me and stay close." Rin walked to the edge of the platform and they both peered into the churning waters – the two exchanged a glance, then Miku drew in a deep breath and allowed herself to plunge headfirst into Len's memories.


	14. Chapter 14

There was a flash of bright light, and seconds later a clap of thunder so loud and terrible that it shook her to her very bones. It was pouring. She couldn't see.

She felt a hand pass over her eyes and suddenly the rainwater seemed to fall away from her face, and her vision returned to her. Rin looked questioningly at her and she nodded, mouthing her thanks. Rin smiled, then she turned and pointed.

Lightning flashed again, lighting up the sky, and Miku saw silhouetted against the dark clouds a lone figure. She squinted, vaguely recognising the face, the eldritch light crackling in his blue eyes, the grimace painted onto features so delicate, so beautiful that it would have made any sculptor weep – it was Len, but at the same time, it wasn't. He looked…she realised why he looked strange. He looked _younger_.

The boy hovering in the sky couldn't have been any older than sixteen. His lips moved and she saw him point the trident he held somewhere behind them – it was only then that she registered the screaming in the background, barely audible over the crash of waves and the rumbling skies. She glanced behind her and saw, her mouth falling open in shock, giant tentacles snaking up from the water, wrapping around a ship – with one mighty squeeze the entire ship broke in two, taking down with it an entire crew of helpless men. She saw the looks of terror on their faces and glimpsed down in the dark depths the flash of jagged teeth.

Dark red slowly spread across the surface of the water. She felt sick. There was a port some distance away from the drowning men, and from here she could just barely make out the sounds of people screaming. The trees whipped and flailed in the wind, the sky tearing itself apart as jagged lightning struck one of them, leaving the tree a blackened crisp.

She heard a shout from above, and she glanced up just in time to see Len raise his hand – the waters behind him immediately began to gather, the waves building and building until they could almost reach him, floating high up in the heavens. He kept the wave there for a while, staring impassively down at the port, then he clenched his fingers into a fist and the wave crashed forth onto the port, which Miku realised connected to an entire island. The water surged through the island, and her chest tightened when she saw small figures being pulled out to sea, their hands and legs flailing helplessly, their looks of terror – they barely lasted a second before being dragged into the water, leaving behind nothing to indicate that they had existed.

"Atlantis," Rin whispered beside her. "It's the sinking of Atlantis." Miku gasped – Atlantis was _real_? She reached for Rin's hand. The lights and the rumbling all around her were a bit too much for her current state. She was feeling faint. Len held out his trident and lifted it to the sky, and something lurched underneath her feet – she looked down and realised belatedly that she and Rin were standing on the churning surface of the ocean. "An earthquake," Rin murmured, squeezing Miku's hand.

She watched in mesmerised horror as, in the distance, buildings began to crumble. Even from here, she could hear people screaming. Len just watched the whole time, his face impassive. His long blond hair, tied in a loose braid, whipped around him. The people on the island poured out of their homes, trapped between drowning and getting crushed by debris. "Why is he doing this?" she whispered, unable to look away from the scene, unable to look away from the beautiful, terrible god who floated high above it all, raising his hand to summon another colossal wave.

"The people were arrogant," Rin answered. "There were some who made profits by capturing and selling mermaids. But one day, they caught a siren. Instead of letting her go, they tried to rape her." The wave, even larger than the first, crashed onto the island, its impact tearing down whatever structures were still standing.

"But it's not all of them, right?" she protested. "You said it was just some of them?" The Len she knew might not like mortals, but he wouldn't wipe out an entire island because of that. The Len she knew wore a faint smile on his lips and had eyes that showed her an entire universe. This Len, younger with the delicate face of an angel – he was cold and callous and there was no hint of emotion in his gaze.

"There's a reason this memory is one of Len's biggest regrets," Rin murmured, and she felt – she didn't know how she felt. Her headache had returned, and her head was pounding. "Remember, don't move. We don't want him to notice us."

She made a sound of assent, narrowing her eyes against another flash of light. The lightning and thunder made it difficult to concentrate. The rain was getting heavier if that was even possible – if Rin had not helped her, she wouldn't have been able to see a thing. Len's lips moved and he stretched his hand towards the island – as she watched, the ground began to crack. It was tiny at first, but then the fissure began to widen, and the island slowly but steadily began to wrench itself apart.

Her eyes couldn't deceive her, but it was difficult to believe what she was seeing. How was this possible? Wasn't he an ocean god? How could he order the ground to destroy itself like that? She could see people throwing themselves into the sea, desperate to escape the chaos – perhaps they thought they could swim to safety, but Len's pets lurked in the water, and they quickly picked off any potential prey.

Was this what Rin meant by Len being a destructive force of nature? He was wrath personified, easily bending nature and the elements to his will. Mortals had never looked more fragile. He held the lives of men and women, the young and the old, all in the palm of his hand and he crushed them without a second thought.

The island wasn't small, and she couldn't see everything – she couldn't see the full extent of the destruction Len wrought, but she could see enough to know that the island was collapsing on itself, an entire nation of people dying with it. A few people had gotten onto boats, desperately attempting to flee, but Len shouted at the heavens and she watched with eyes wide as a maelstrom opened up near the island, dragging in anyone who dared to try and escape their destruction.

Len's eyes crackled with an unearthly light. He looked terrible. Powerful but terrible. Lightning illuminated him, and she saw his gaze shift downwards. Her breaths stilled as their eyes met and Len frowned, as though he had only just noticed her. But he couldn't possibly be looking at her, right? She hadn't moved. Len's memories would not realise she was there unless she moved – that's what both Len and Rin had said.

Thunder boomed, and at the same time there was a shimmer of movement – she blinked and suddenly Len was right in front of her, his blue eyes staring intently into hers. She gasped, unable to prevent herself from taking a step back, while Rin just stared in shock at the boy, the _god_ who had approached them. "Who are you?"

She swallowed, glancing fearfully at Rin – she nodded. _Answer him_ , she saw her lips move, and Miku looked back at him. He was waiting, his face unreadable. When she saw him up close like this, he looked so…young. She knew even at this point he was centuries old, but he had the appearance of a teenager. Even her brother looked older than him. Len was so young, but he held so much power.

It was frightening. "Hatsune Miku," she answered, her voice quivering. But she was glad she could speak at all. Len studied her face – all around them the chaos had stopped, nothing moving other than him, her and Rin. This peacefulness was nothing but a lie, she knew – they were in the past, and in the present day, Atlantis had long been sunk. But for now, she was glad she need not hear the screams of the dying.

He reached out to her neck. "Why are you marked, human? And by me?" he asked, and she could hear the echoes of divine power in his voice.

Her hand immediately went up to her neck, where Len had marked her as his mate. She had forgotten about that. Her fingers came away stained with makeup, and she realised that the deluge must have washed her concealer away. She met his gaze, her lips parted – she wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. How was she supposed to explain this? That she got marked by him over a thousand years into the future? That future Len still hated humans but didn't mind _her_ specifically?

"You are from a different time." He seemed to realise this on his own. "And you're here too…sister." He glanced at Rin, who just nodded, her gaze never leaving him. "What do the two of you want? Why are you intruding upon my memories?"

"A demonstration," Rin answered, her voice quiet. Len looked steadily at her, but he didn't say anything. "The older you became, the less you destroyed. Even now you feel it in your heart. A tinge of _what if_. You are young, but already you regret."

The glow, the electricity that emanated from him faded and he dropped to the ocean's surface, watching them. He was bare-footed, dressed in a simple white garment – Miku thought it was called a toga, though she couldn't be sure – that exposed his left shoulder. "What is the point of demonstrating my powers, in that case?"

"This one was curious." Miku stiffened as two pairs of eyes, the same vivid shade of blue, turned to her. "The present-day you would never tell her anything."

"He is wise, then." There was a distant look in his eyes and somehow, he looked _old,_ even more so than her Len. But wasn't he younger in this memory? "Tell me, what do you wish to know? If you ask, perhaps you will find your answers."

This wasn't part of the plan. She eyed Rin, wondering if this was a good idea, but Rin looked as uncertain as Miku felt. She inhaled. Since he brought it up first, then maybe she ought to seize the opportunity. "Could you tell me about the test? The one that is used to determine which women are worthy of becoming the queen."

"Test?" Len frowned. "There is no such test. We have no need for a queen."

 _Too far back_ , Rin mouthed. Miku swallowed. Was there anything else she wanted to know? "You are Len. A memory, a past version of him," she spoke slowly, trying to put her thoughts into words. He nodded. "I don't know if you have an answer to this. But do you think there would ever be a point, sometime in the future, where you wish to give up the throne? Where you'd wish to be able to die?"

Rin's hand, still holding hers, squeezed her tight. Surprise crossed Len's face, but it quickly gave way to a wistful smile, and it made him look so much like his modern-day counterpart that her heart ached. "If you were capable of all this," he swept his hand towards the drowning island, "then would you not someday wish to die?"

She didn't understand. He saw the confusion on her face and reached towards her – she didn't flinch away when his slim fingers rested on her cheek. "Miku. A mortal I must have cherished, to have given you that mark." He glanced at her neck again, and Miku suddenly felt grateful that Len had _forgotten himself_ last night. Those two little bruises offered her protection that she had never imagined would be necessary. "Indeed, I am young. And I don't age, not in here. But I am trapped in a loop. Always doing the same thing. Always killing, always destroying. I'm tired."

She blinked. "How _old_ are you?" she asked. He spoke as though time passed here, and he was aware of its passage – but could a memory experience time?

"As old as Len is now," he answered. "I am a memory, yes. But he ripped me out of him and locked me away to avoid his shame. I bear the burden of his regret. I have but a vague awareness of the centuries passing, and always, always I play my role. I am a memory, as old as his time, and time passes differently for us discarded here."

 _Those memories…they have sentience. They're little worlds of their own_. What he told her from just days back, though in truth it felt like a lifetime had passed since then – his words floated through her mind and she thought she might understand what he meant. "Is there a way to break free of this loop?" she asked.

He bowed his head. "Only if the present-day him is willing to take all his memories back from the _Memoriae_ ," he answered. "Which is unlikely, if not impossible. He cannot handle the burdens of his past. There is something broken within him, and it echoes in all of us. We sense that much, but we do not know what is wrong."

"He tampered with his memories." Rin's voice was quiet, but they both looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "Some time in the future Len will throw away his desire to live. He locks away the symbols of his reign and withdraws into himself. And his memories, our memories from that period – they were all wiped clean."

"Perhaps he did not store the memories in the _Memoriae_?" Len suggested. It was very strange having a conversation with him, knowing he was her boyfriend but also not. "I do not always use the tome. Some memories, I bury deep within my heart."

"No. If you could see how he looks now, you'd know his heart has been drained empty." Rin sounded tired. "Centuries have passed and still he looks the same. As though a part of him has _died_ , but he never tells me what's wrong. I try not to think about it."

"Yet you cannot help but worry," Len said, and Rin did not refute his statement. "I cannot help you. You speak to a _me_ who belongs too far back in the past. Where I once delighted in all the carnage, the bloodshed, in the thought of having a whole civilisation in the grasp of my hand." He smiled, and she saw a tiny hint of fang. "I still delight in that, sometimes. When I forget how far I've come. Perhaps you can ask another me, one who has…grown. You should not spend any more time here."

He waved his hand, and she felt something hook her very being, pulling her back – she held on to Rin as tightly as she could, and the entire world blurred around her. The last thing she saw was Len returning to the heavens, overseeing the chaos that unfolded around him. Everything turned dark and she was floating through nothing. Then the next moment she was back on the floor of the chamber, gasping for air.

Rin herself looked slightly winded as she staggered to her feet, dragging the back of her hand over her eyes. "That was informative," she muttered, her gaze fixed on the stone floor. "More so than I expected." She glanced at Miku. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her hand fluttering up to her heart. She thought of the younger Len, of the resignation she saw in his eyes, and a strange emotion filled her chest. She was unsure what it was, but it reminded her of sorrow. "It's a good thing Len marked you, come to think of it," Rin continued. "His memories are unlikely to hurt you if they sense the marks…well, it's not absolute protection, but they will help. A bit annoying though, if that means he can sense your presence even when you stay still."

"Can we visit another memory?" Miku forced herself up as well, though her knees were a little shaky. She felt like she had just run a marathon, her entire body trembling. "He said that another memory might be able to give us some answers, right?"

Rin shook her head. "Going into Len's memories will take a lot out of you. Visiting a memory will drain some of your vitality each time – the longer you stay in them, the more they take. That's why you're so tired now. I wouldn't recommend going to more than one a day," she told her. Miku nodded, a sudden urge to collapse into bed coming across her. She didn't become this tired the other time she got sucked into one of Len's memories. They must have been in this one for a long time.

"I'm…sorry for him, though," she murmured. "I'm sorry that he's trapped in there, just doing the same thing over and over again. Especially since he regrets it now."

"Don't feel sorry for the memory." Rin sighed. "Believe me, the regret he experiences is a mere fraction of how Len feels about it – that's why the memory is there. To shoulder his burden." She met Miku's gaze, her blue eyes thoughtful. "But I didn't know Len separated his memories because he was unable to bear their weight. All this time, we assumed he just wanted a better way to sort his thoughts…if only I knew all this while what was troubling him."

"Rin? You've lived as long as Len, right?" she asked. The girl nodded absentmindedly, not paying full attention to her. "Then do you lock your memories away too?"

"No, only Len can use this chamber. It's the king's privilege. You see, as a god, he _remembers_. He cannot forget. This is the only way he knows how." Rin paused. "Though I suppose it's more of a curse than a privilege. The rest of us, we can just forget the things we don't want to remember. But he never can, not really."

"I see." There were many things she didn't know. "But he can tamper with your memories? Even though you are not able to use the chamber?"

Rin hesitated. "I'm not sure. Even I don't know the full extent of Len's powers. And he's never done it before. I'm not the type to dwell on my past, so I never realised – if you had not asked me, I wouldn't even know that something was missing. My knowledge, my memories, they were too expertly removed to be done by anyone other than my brother." She folded her arms across her chest. "I'll need to ask him."

"But if he wanted you to forget," Miku pointed out, "then wouldn't he have made you forget entirely?" Rin stared at her, and Miku wondered how she could phrase it better. "Wouldn't you be unaware that you had forgotten something? Why would he take away your memories, but let you remember something is missing?"

"So…you're saying it might not be Len?" Rin considered. "I can't imagine who else it could be, though. He is the only one with control over us. He is our king."

"Only Len would have the answer, I guess." Miku shrugged. Then she shivered, the chill of the chamber getting to her. "Can we get out of here? It's freezing."

"Oh, yeah. Okay, let's go. I've forgotten how fragile you mortals can be," Rin said, ushering Miku out of the chamber. Miku shot the siren a pointed look.

"Rin, you just saw a whole island of people getting murdered by Len. I think that's a pretty good reminder of how fragile we humans are compared to you."

Rin laughed, looping an arm around Miku's waist. "I've seen that memory so many times. Sometimes, you stop thinking that it's real. It's like a movie, right? And all of them are actors. My brother, the screaming people, the crumbling island…"

But they weren't actors. All those people were real. The Len who wielded control over the sea and the earth, he was real. The look in his eyes, the ache in her chest – they were all real. And she didn't know what to make of it.


	15. Chapter 15

"Have you decided where you want to go?" she asked, staring at her laptop. The screen stared back at her, and she sighed, too distracted to do her work.

"Nope!" Her brother's voice was cheerful, and she could imagine him lying in bed, watching video recordings of concerts. He was an amazing musician – he could play five different instruments and he was an excellent singer to boot. But he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to go into Music Studies – Mikuo had a whole variety of interests.

He had excellent grades as well, so he was considering taking up medicine. At the moment he was waiting to see whether he'd be offered any scholarships before he decided which university he wanted to enrol in. What an overachiever. She was proud of him, though.

"You should make up your mind. Isn't the deadline for most schools closing soon? You don't want to end up somewhere only because you had no choice," she nagged at him, and Mikuo just mumbled something incomprehensible in response.

"Do you want to say hi to mum?" He changed the topic, probably just to get her off his back, and she said okay. There was a pause as he left his room and handed the phone over to their mother, and Miku smiled when she heard her mother's voice.

"Miku! How are you? Are you eating well? Finishing your assignments on time?" Her mother sounded worried, and she laughed, already expecting her mother to nag. It was funny, how much she hated being nagged at when she was at home – but being apart from her family just made her miss her mother's fussing, her father's awful jokes, her brother's happy-go-lucky view towards everything. She missed them.

"I'm fine! I'm doing okay," she answered. "It's a little stressful since there's a lot of work piling up, but it's nothing new." She leant back in her chair, looking at the ceiling. "I miss everyone at home, Mum. And I miss your cooking." She sighed.

"Oh, Miku." Her mother's voice softened. "Do you want us to visit your dorm? Or you could come home to visit if you have time. Your room is always ready for you."

"Maybe," she agreed. "It isn't a good time for me right now but once this crunch is over, I'll think about it." It was nice hearing her mother's voice. After everything that happened, she just wanted a hug, but since that wasn't possible, she settled for the next best thing. "I even miss the way you'd bang on my door in the mornings."

"You must be really homesick." She could hear the humour in her mother's words. "Mikuo misses you a lot, you know. Even though he doesn't say it. The other day he asked if he should invite you to his next concert since you might be busy. And it's so far away from your university…it wouldn't be convenient for you to attend."

"He has a concert?" Miku blinked. "He didn't tell me! When is it? Where? Does he still have any tickets for me?" she asked. She tried her best to watch all her brother's performances – he had participated in quite a few and was used to being in front of an audience by now, but she still recalled the first time he had to sing in public.

Mikuo was talented but he also wasn't super outgoing, so he was understandably nervous about being on stage. He calmed down when he saw them in the audience, his family sitting near the front row and cheering him on. Watching Mikuo's concerts was something they all did _together_. It was weird that he didn't tell her about it.

"He didn't want you to fly down to see him. He said you have other things you need to worry about." Her mother paused. "He's sensible, you know. Even though I _know_ you think he's still immature. Stay in school, Miku. Focus on your assignments."

"Mikuo _is_ immature. He just pretends that he isn't," she huffed. "Being super smart doesn't mean he always knows the right thing to do! Let _me_ decide whether or not I want to attend the concert. When and where is it, Mum?"

Her mother cleared her throat. "Next weekend, Miku. On Sunday. And it's at Ilyse Concert Hall…remember that one? You complained it was too far away the previous time and you'd never want to go there again?" she reminded. Miku _did_ vaguely recall saying that.

"That was before I moved halfway across the country to attend university. I'm going to get tickets and I'm going to get there. Just you wait!" she declared, opening up a new tab on her laptop. She managed to find the concert her mother was talking about, ignoring the older woman as she tried to dissuade her daughter from acting on impulse again. "Ha! There are still a few empty rows left!" she crowed.

Her mother sighed. "I can't stop you from coming, but if Mikuo gets annoyed when he sees you don't blame me," she warned. Miku just grunted in response, trying to figure out which category ticket to get. She was technically on a budget, but this was for family, right? These tickets were really expensive, though…

She heard some shouting in the background, then her mother spoke into the phone again, this time sounding amused. "Your father wants to know if you've met anyone yet, Miku. He's worried you'll be left on the shelf if you don't start dating soon."

Miku spluttered, her quest for Mikuo's concert tickets momentarily forgotten. She knew she was blushing and was glad that her mother wasn't standing in front of her, asking this face-to-face. Right. She had yet to tell her family about her boyfriend.

It wasn't like she was trying to hide things from them. It was just…she didn't know how to talk about her feelings, and she thought her crush on Len wouldn't amount to anything, so she never brought it up. When they started dating, she got so busy with school and the choir and hanging out with her friends that she just didn't think about updating her family. And now she knew Len was a siren she wasn't sure if she wanted them to know at all. Her mother would freak out.

But she'd have to tell them about him eventually, right? She couldn't keep Len a secret forever. "Uh," was all she managed, and her mother gasped, immediately jumping to conclusions. "No, stop! I can hear you thinking!"

"Who is it, Miku? You didn't tell us!" her mother exclaimed. Miku wanted to groan. It was actually kind of embarrassing, talking about this over the phone. Anyone else might be wary of their daughter's potential boyfriend, but all her family wanted for her was a nice boy to keep her company. Her parents, in particular, seemed to believe no one would ever find her attractive. And honestly, that kind of stung.

"Just…uh, just someone from school," she muttered. There was no point in hiding it now. She did want to tell her family someday, anyway – just she thought it would have involved an actual sit-down dinner or something, not a phone call. "His name is Len, and we met at choir. He's a nice guy." She paused. What else did people normally say when they were telling their parents about their boyfriend?

"How long have you two been dating? And how long have you known him?" Her mother continued asking questions, and Miku was beginning to feel overwhelmed. "Where is he from? Is he in the same year as you? What are his grades like?"

"I'll tell you more next time!" she promised, wanting to just get off the phone at this point. Her mother exhaled, but Miku sensed her mother's reluctance and interjected before she could say anything. "It's getting late and I'm tired, so I'll talk to you later!" And with that, she managed to get her mother to end the call.

She took in a deep breath, thinking over the conversation. Now that her mother knew she had a boyfriend, she'd no doubt pester her about introducing Len to the family. So…maybe it would be a good idea to bring Len to Mikuo's concert? She eyed her laptop, her fingers drumming restlessly against her knee.

Rin said Len would probably be back tomorrow. She could talk about this with him then. Nodding, she shut her laptop and stretched, her lips parting in a yawn. It was still pretty early – she hardly ever slept before midnight when she was on campus – but that trip into Len's memories had worn her out, and her bed looked extremely inviting. Throwing herself onto the soft mattress, she hugged one of her pillows and buried her face in the smooth fabric. This bed was one of the best things about moving to Len's place. Maybe she could just stay here forever.

It didn't take long for her to grow drowsy and, as she lay there in the dark, she idly thought about how much her life had changed. At least her family and friends were a constant. She wondered if there would be any other changes waiting for her.

* * *

Miku was roused by the muffled sounds of people shouting. It sounded like it was coming from outside her room. She groaned, blinking woozily – whoever they were, couldn't they just keep it down? She tried to bury her head underneath her pillow.

Suddenly there was a shriek, and Miku flinched when she heard the sound of glass breaking. Okay, maybe she ought to go out and take a look. Forcing herself to get up, she rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes and shuffled out of the room, wondering what the heck was going on. The very first thing she saw was Rin holding on to a ceramic plate, looking like she was about to throw it at Len.

The blond twins turned to her when they noticed her standing there in her pyjamas, staring at them. Something suddenly wrapped around her right leg and looked down to see Lenka hiding behind her, staring at her mother and uncle with a fearful look in her wide blue eyes. "What are you two doing?" she asked, her voice slurred with sleep. Len scowled at the question, though he seemed to relax a little at the sight of her. His arms fell to his sides, and he eyed Rin with an unfamiliar hostility.

"We're discussing things in a nice, civilised manner." His smile looked forced. Miku wondered why he even bothered to try. "Lenka, come here." Len squatted and held out a hand, but his niece just tightened her grip on Miku's leg and shook her head.

"You two are scaring her," Miku scolded, resting her hand gently on Lenka's head. "Rin, you shouldn't be throwing plates at Len. You could hurt someone!"

Rin scoffed. "Please. Len is practically invincible. Getting hit by one of these won't even wind him." She shook the plate at Len, her blue eyes glowering. "You come _back_ here, you little brat! How dare you try to corrupt my innocent daughter –"

"Excuse _me,_ you're the dumbass who left her alone with Levi in the tank and almost allowed your daughter to get _eaten_ by a giant _squid_ –"

Miku wanted to groan. "Lenka, are you okay?" she whispered, looking down at the child. Lenka shrugged, though she could see her bottom lip quivering. "Did your mummy leave you alone again? Can you tell me what happened?"

"I wanted to play with Uncle Len's pets…" Lenka mumbled, hiding her face against Miku's leg. "Mummy brought me to the big tank, but she said she was going to get a snack first and she told me not to go in by myself. But she was taking so long!"

"So, you went inside the tank?" Lenka nodded. "That's where your uncle found you?" Another nod. "And were you really in danger of being eaten by Levi?"

"I dunno." Lenka looked up at her. "I was swimming in and out of Levi's mouth, but he didn't try to eat me." _Not yet at least_ , Miku's mind supplied. No wonder Len was freaking out. "I just really want them to stop fighting," she whispered.

"Right." Miku glanced at the twins again, just in time to witness Rin hurling the plate at Len's head – Len danced out of the way and the plate shattered against the wall behind him. "Stop it!" she snapped. Both of them froze. "You're both centuries-old but you're behaving like little brats! Can't you see how upset Lenka is?"

She could hardly believe this was the same Len and Rin she knew. Rin, with her easy smile and upbeat energy, and Len, the king of the sirens and an actual _god_ – she glared at them both and they at least had the decency to look ashamed. "It was a misunderstanding. Can't you stop arguing? And throwing things at each other?"

"I want to clarify that it was mostly Rin throwing stuff at me," Len muttered. " _I'd_ never raise a hand against my older sister. Unlike a certain blonde bimbo here."

"You say that again, Kagamine Len, and my baby brother or not I will _end_ you."

"Stop it, the both of you!" she repeated, narrowing her eyes at them. Len and Rin turned to her, both looking sulky. "I don't want to say it again. Stop yelling at each other like kids, sit down and talk things over. I shouldn't have to tell you this," she huffed. This was _not_ how she had envisioned her Saturday morning.

Rin folded her arms across her chest. "Fine." She eyed her brother. "I'm sorry for lashing out at Len and accusing him of being a bad influence on Lenka."

"I'm the only good influence your daughter has," Len mumbled. Miku gave him a warning look and he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for calling you a useless excuse for a maternal figure and for saying that you shouldn't have had a kid if you can't pull your head out of your ass for just one second to look after her well-being."

That sounded harsher than Len's usual comment about Rin being a terrible mother. No wonder she reacted the way she did. Not that it was a good excuse for violence, of course. "Good! Now that we've gotten that out of the way," she patted Lenka's head, and the girl hesitantly loosened her grip, "why don't you explain your sudden crankiness, Len? Because I've never seen you this grouchy, not even at school."

She'd seen Len annoyed before, but this was different. Len looked at her, and she was certain she saw anger flit across his face but then she blinked, and the emotion was gone. "You two went through my memories yesterday, didn't you?"

His tone was accusatory, not questioning. He knew. Miku swallowed, exchanging a look with Rin – all the earlier irritation caused by their ridiculous argument instantly disappeared. How did he find out? Rin was looking at the ceiling, her gaze fixed on it as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"You _know_ you're supposed to ask for my permission, Rin," he seethed. " _You_ of all people should know, given that time you _changed the past_ and ended up starting a war between two countries – yet you still went without telling me?"

"I'd rather you go back to screaming at me about Lenka," Rin answered, still staring upwards. "I thought you didn't notice since you didn't say anything about it earlier, but no wonder you were in such an awful mood. I mean, you don't usually get all mad about me leaving Lenka to her own devices. That was misleading, Len."

"Don't change the subject," Len snarled, and Miku shivered – in that one moment, he sounded more animal than human. Rin seemed entirely unbothered. "You _never_ listen to me. And fine, if you go by yourself. But why drag Miku into it? Do you want her to die? Or are you trying to test her limits? What do you want?" he demanded.

Rin looked affronted. "Why would I want her to die? She's _your_ girlfriend. You think I'd want to get rid of someone who can actually touch your black, shrivelled heart?" she shot back. Miku just fidgeted, wondering if she ought to cut in at some point, but the twins had gone back to glaring daggers at each other and she would very much like to continue breathing. "We have _questions_ , okay. And going into your memories seemed like a good idea! You never want to tell anyone _anything_!"

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault now?" Len folded his arms across his chest. "You know, that's the thing – you're always trying to get inside my head! Maybe once in a while, I want to have some privacy!" He turned on her without waiting for Rin to respond, and Miku took a step back, her eyes widening. "And you – did you learn absolutely _nothing_ from that one time you went into my memories? Why are you so reckless?"

"We just wanted to know…" Her voice trailed off and she fidgeted, averting her gaze. She didn't have to look at him to sense his anger. Given how he had sunk an entire island just because its inhabitants pissed him off…it probably wasn't a good idea to further provoke him. "Rin realised there was something she couldn't recall, so we checked the _Memoriae_ and saw there was a period without any memories."

A strange look appeared on his face. "A period without any memories?" he echoed. Miku was relieved to see that he had cooled off a little. Maybe he was just confused, but anything that got him a little less mad worked well enough for her. "When?"

"From before you locked away your throne." She glanced at Rin and the other girl gave her the tiniest nod. "There was an entire century where no memories were recorded in the book," she added. Len frowned, his shoulders relaxing a bit. The tense energy he exuded also seemed to dissipate, though he still wasn't quite his usual self. "We thought going into your memories might provide an answer…"

Not quite true, but they _did_ find out something in the end. Len exhaled. "Okay. Sure. But still – I don't care, you are _not_ going into another one of my memories. If my sister wants to get herself killed then, by all means, she can do so. But I will not allow you to get dragged into it. Do you understand me?" His eyes were hard.

She wanted to protest, but Lenka suddenly reached for her again and she glanced down to see the girl staring up at her, a look of trepidation on her face. Something in her blue eyes just knocked all the breath out of her lungs. Miku sighed. "Fine, I won't," she promised. The relieved smile on Len's face made her feel a little guilty.

Yes, he cared for her. She knew that and she appreciated it, but if he was just going to coddle her all the time she wouldn't get anywhere. How was she supposed to sit still and pretend nothing was wrong? Rin was concerned. And Len himself looked perturbed at the mention of his missing memories. Something was going on here and if he didn't want to tell her about it, then she would just have to find out more on her own.

Len squatted again, this time holding his arms out, and Lenka let go of Miku to run over to her uncle, allowing him to pull her into a tight hug. "Did I frighten you just now, dolphin?" he asked, one hand reaching up to tweak his niece's nose.

"A little bit," Lenka replied. "But not anymore." Len smiled and stood, Lenka still clinging on to him like a little monkey. Miku felt a twinge of longing when she saw him with his niece, being so open and affectionate – she wished for that too. She wanted a family of her own, but with Len being so guarded and his reluctance to commit to anything, she had to wonder if her dream would ever come true.

"How did you know we went into your memory?" she asked, attempting to distract herself from her thoughts. Len looked at her, his hand cradling the back of Lenka's head. He seemed used to carrying her. She wondered how heavy the girl was.

"I can usually tell unless you only dipped in for a while. Those memories drain you, remember? Energy going in has to come out somewhere." His gaze dropped from her face to her neck, and suddenly she felt self-conscious about the marks on her skin. "And I could guess where you were. We have a bond now, after all."

"What, you mean these marks serve as a GPS?" she asked, startled.

"Kind of." He made a face. "It's not so precise that I can tell your exact location, but I can sense if you're in danger or if you're somewhere far away from me – in another realm, for example. And my memories do constitute a world of their own, so…"

Oh. No wonder he could tell. This bothered her a bit, though it shouldn't since she _had_ promised to stop jumping into his memories. She'd have to find another way to investigate. Which reminded her – didn't Rin mention yesterday that Len had gone to seek answers? "You went to look for your father last night, right?"

He hesitated. "Yeah, I did. Why?" She didn't miss the frown he gave Rin, the semi-accusatory look in his eyes – his twin just shrugged, looking not in the least bit guilty. "We didn't talk about anything significant, in case you were wondering. I just thought it was about time we had a chat. It's been a few decades."

Len was lying. She didn't know how she could tell, but she knew. "Right. I'm sure that's exactly what you did." She placed her hands on her hips, determined not to back down this time. "Are you going to tell me what happened when you sang to me, or should I throw myself into another one of your memories to make you talk?"

She normally wasn't very confrontational, but this involved _her_ , and she refused to listen to his usual excuses. Len put Lenka down, and she was surprised to see that he was _pouting_. "You know, it's not very fair when you threaten me this way. You know I'd never want you to get hurt. That's a dirty move, Miku," he complained.

"And so is not letting me know about things that involve me," she countered. He didn't refute that. "Tell me, or I'm going to head down to the chamber!"

"Fine." He sighed. "Let me make breakfast and then we can talk, okay?" Right as he finished his sentence her stomach gurgled, and she covered it with her hand, embarrassed. He smiled, and for a fleeting, precious moment, it felt like nothing had changed.


	16. Chapter 16

Len slid a plate in front of her, and she inhaled. Her stomach growled. It was a simple meal – two sunny-side-up eggs and some toast, but it smelled excellent.

Rin had placed her daughter on the sofa, and Lenka was now watching a cartoon, her eyes glued to the television. Len was standing at the blender, and she tried not to look at the disturbingly red drink he was prepping. Rin had made coffee, and she offered some to Miku, who shook her head – she didn't drink coffee on weekends.

The blender stopped whirring and Len began pouring the mysterious concoction into a transparent tall glass. She eyed the drink again, curious about what it was exactly but also too afraid to ask. "I'm surprised you know how to cook, Len."

Len glanced over his shoulder at her. "After living for centuries, you pick up a few skills. And _someone_ needs to know how to cook. Rin is hopeless in the kitchen."

"I take offence at that." Rin sniffed, sighing happily as she took another sip from her mug. "Miku said that I reached a new level of culinary innovation, you know."

"Have you _actually_ tasted her cooking?" Len gave her an incredulous look, and she shrugged, biting into her toast. The warm buttered toast had just the right amount of crunch and she smiled, contented. "How did you not get food poisoning?"

"It wasn't _that_ bad…" It was, but Rin was looking expectantly at her and she didn't want to hurt her feelings. "I think you should have more faith in her, Len."

Len poured some unidentified powder into his glass as he stirred his drink. "I value my life, thank you. But I'll let Ian and Yuma know if Rin requires any test subjects. I'd rather you not risk _your_ life sampling any more of her food."

Things felt so normal. Looking at the way Len and Rin were bickering, she wouldn't have known that just a while ago they were screaming and attempting to inflict bodily injury upon each other. Though the latter was more on Rin's part than Len's. "But is human food enough sustenance for you?" she asked. That was something she had been wondering about.

"Not really." Len shrugged. "But we supplement our diet with other things." Her gaze was once again drawn to his drink as Len lifted the glass to his lips. She wanted to know what that liquid was. It looked too viscous to be tomato juice.

"Supplement it how?" She might regret asking this. Len and Rin exchanged a look, then Len put his glass down on the table, sliding it towards her. She stared at it.

"Why don't you give it a try?" he offered. She hesitated, recalling the last time she tried something unfamiliar from Len's kitchen. "It tastes better than it looks. And I promise you won't be at risk of catching fire this time." He gave her a wry smile.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the glass and drank – the thick liquid hit her tongue and her eyes widened. It tasted overwhelmingly of tomato, though there was something else cutting through the tanginess – celery maybe. The drink was grainy too, probably from whatever powder Len had put inside earlier. "This is a vegetable…shake?" she asked, peering at the drink.

"A vegetable protein shake," Len corrected. "I hate them. But we need a lot more protein than humans do, and these supplements help." He took the glass back, and Miku bit into her toast, trying to get rid of the drink's lingering taste. She was glad it wasn't blood, but that vegetable shake wasn't the best-tasting thing in the world.

"So…now that we've had our breakfast," she started, "may I just remind you about what you promised me?" She gave Len a pointed look, and he coughed, putting his half-finished vegetable shake aside. Rin just sat between them, sipping daintily from her mug, though her blue eyes lit up with interest at Miku's words.

"Right. What happened when I sang to you." He paused. "You froze. I wasn't sure if you could even hear me at that point, because you were completely unresponsive. But then after a while, you started screaming and crying, so I stopped."

She had been expecting something more dramatic. "That's it?" She frowned, and Len nodded, glancing at his sister. Rin made a face. "I mean, Rin already told me that. I was hoping you would say something else." She felt her chest ache again, and she placed her hand over her heart. Len watched her, concern in his eyes.

"I can't tell you much beyond that. I can't see inside your mind, so there's no way for me to know what you _saw_ when you heard me sing." He hesitated. "But when you screamed, you…you were screaming for me to kill you. I don't know why."

She didn't remember this, but her temples throbbed at his words and she winced, her hand shooting up to her head. "What do humans normally see when you sing?" she asked, closing her eyes. Maybe she'd recall something if he talked about it.

"It depends." With her world dark, she could focus on the musicality of Len's voice and how soothing it sounded. "Our voices promise you the world. We find your weaknesses and insecurities, turn them into hooks to lure in our prey. You would have seen your most secret desire, whatever that was."

But she couldn't remember anything. She struggled, thinking back to the events of yesterday, but the only memory that surfaced was Len saying he was ready. She knew Rin and Piko had both sang before that, and she remembered what their voices had felt like, but Len was a complete blank. "Nothing comes to mind."

There was a pause, then suddenly she felt warm fingers touch her face. "Are you really…okay?" Len's voice was closer now, and she exhaled as his thumb brushed against her cheek. "Your screams at the end. It got me worried," he whispered.

She understood. "I promise that I've never once wanted to kill myself. I don't know why I said it, but I don't have any secret wish to die or anything."

He exhaled. "All right. But be careful." She felt his lips brush against her forehead and then he let go of her face. When she opened her eyes she saw that Len had returned to his seat, while Rin had joined Lenka on the sofa.

"What did your father say, though? You went to talk to him, right?" she asked. Len shrugged, swirling his glass – there wasn't much of the shake left, but she didn't miss the way he grimaced when he raised the drink to his mouth and downed the remainder.

"He didn't tell me much. He's one of the older gods, and they tend to speak in riddles. But from what I understand, everything will be left up to fate now." Miku wanted to say that Len himself wasn't the clearest communicator, but he was staring pensively at his empty glass and suddenly, it didn't feel right to bring that up.

"What _exactly_ did you two discuss, though?" She picked up her empty plate, bringing it to the sink. She was about to start washing up but Len gestured at her to leave the dishes alone. "Did you say anything about me?"

"You were mentioned." Len snapped his fingers and she saw water flow out of the tap. "I just asked him whether there was anything I ought to be aware of. You can't ask gods questions that are too specific," he told her, a note of amusement in his voice. "They like to sound all vague and mysterious, which is how you get prophecies. They hate when you try to drill down into the little details."

"Aren't _you_ a god, though?" she pointed out. "I don't see you speaking in riddles."

"I'm a young god. It's different," he clarified. "I know you don't think I'm young, but when it comes to immortals we look at millennia, not years. And I'm not even three millennia old, so…" Len shrugged. "When people ask me questions, I prefer to get straight to the point. Prophecies are a waste of time if you ask me."

"Do you often get people asking you questions?" She didn't think she had ever seen Len talking to any human followers. She wasn't sure how this whole god thing worked. Did people even worship him? He was a pagan god, after all.

"Sometimes. I usually won't answer them." His gaze flitted away. "There are several ocean gods who each look after a different aspect of our domain. I oversee the dangerous, destructive force of the ocean. When people pray to me," he glanced back at her, "it's in the hopes that I'll leave them alone. Or worse."

She saw the look in his eyes and decided not to ask. "If I ask you to help me with my schoolwork, could you then?" It was a stupid attempt to lighten the mood, but Len smiled anyway, and he reached out to pat her on the head.

"I can't help you with things outside my domain of expertise, sorry. You can always pray to me if you need help with your singing, though." He laughed at her look of surprise. "Yes, I do have a minor role as a music god, believe it or not."

"It's so weird, knowing that you're immortal and powerful." She shook her head. "I can't wrap my mind around it sometimes. The fact that you're not human." If someone came up to her two weeks ago and told her that Len was a siren and also an ocean god, she would have called that person crazy. And yet, here they were.

"I'd be more concerned if you _didn't_ have difficulties accepting all this," he said. "If you struggle with it then at least I know you have some sense of self-preservation."

She frowned. "You make it sound like I have no idea how to take care of myself."

He smiled at her. "I won't go so far as to say that you're entirely clueless, but once in a while, you _do_ make questionable decisions. And that can be very worrying."

"I feel attacked." She pouted, her gaze drifting towards Rin and Lenka – the young girl was still transfixed by the television, while Rin was fiddling with her phone, glancing up at her daughter every once in a while. Looking at Lenka watching her show reminded her of Mikuo's concert next week, and the fact that she still had yet to invite Len.

"By the way, I just remembered – my brother will be having a concert next Sunday. My family will be going, so I was wondering whether, um…whether you'd want to go with me?" She felt nervous all of a sudden. Was it too soon? Would Len even want to meet her family? Or what if he wasn't interested in human concerts?

"A concert?" Len raised an eyebrow. "What kind? I remember you mentioned he's good with a few instruments. And that he enjoys singing." At least he didn't say no. In fact, he seemed interested, which Miku took to be a good sign.

The mention of a concert appeared to have gotten Rin's attention as well. Miku could feel Rin's eyes boring into her. "He'll be performing with his school's choir. It's his last concert before he goes to university, I think. He has a soloist bit."

At least this was what she managed to gather from the website. "Sure. I don't mind. It's been a while since I last went to any concerts." Len glanced at his sister, who was still watching them from the sofa. "You want to go, don't you?" he sighed.

"You know I _like_ listening to humans singing! It's so different from how we sound." Rin bounced off the sofa, an excited grin on her face. "We should make it an excursion! I think we're all super bored, and this would make a nice trip out –"

"Wait, wait!" Miku exclaimed, interrupting her. "I was thinking that…um, I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce Len to my parents. I'm not sure how they'd feel about seeing me with a whole bunch of new people."

Though she knew her parents wouldn't mind. They'd probably be happy that she was making friends. The bigger issue was how attractive they were – the last thing she wanted was to stand out at Mikuo's concert. Plus, while she assumed that most of Len's followers were well-behaved, she wouldn't put it past Rei to sneak off and try to snack on someone. The dark siren was too trigger-happy for her liking.

"We won't intrude on your date," Rin promised with an airy wave of her hand. "And you don't need to worry that we'll go around eating people or something. No one would dare to defy Len, so long as he says the word." Rin looked beseechingly at her brother, who frowned back at her, seemingly considering her suggestion.

She was still uncertain. On the one hand, it would be good to have more people going to Mikuo's concert. But on the other hand, it didn't seem like a good idea to invite an entire group of man-eating beings to listen to her brother singing. The whole thing was a disaster waiting to happen, no matter how earnestly Rin pleaded her case.

"You want me to meet your family?" Len seemed to have different concerns. "Not that I mind, it's just…are you sure?" He looked at her with something almost like vulnerability in his eyes and she blinked, surprised at how hesitant he looked.

"Are you _nervous_?" she asked, just to be certain. He glanced away from her, but she saw there was a faint pink tinge to his cheeks and she could feel her heart melt. "You don't have to be! They're excited to meet you. I'm sure they'll like you no matter what," she promised. Len ducked his head, trying to hide his blush.

"I'm not scared of that!" he protested. "Just…I don't think I've met anyone's parents before. Not while masquerading as a mortal. I'm not sure what to do."

She remembered then that Len's brides were given to him by humans who were seeking safe passage – that the women were not seen as partners, but rather as easy meals. "You never dated anyone after you stopped receiving sacrifices?"

He hesitated. "In a way I did, but it's not like I ever had to introduce myself." She wondered who these other women were, but decided she could ask about that another day. "You don't want your family to find out what I am, right?"

She nodded. "That's probably for the best. I'm not sure how my mother would react to knowing that I'm dating a god who likes to eat people," she said.

"Fair enough." Len glanced at Rin, who was still staring hopefully at them. "If _Miku_ doesn't want you lot to go then I don't think I should give you permission…"

"Miku! Please!" Rin immediately turned her attention to her, pouting. "I'll make sure we're all on our absolute best behaviour! You won't even know we're there, and we will all pretend we don't know you," she promised. Miku thought about it.

"But you look exactly like Len," she pointed out. "Won't it be strange if you pretend not to know him?" Their resemblance went beyond sharing the same hair and eye colour. Len and Rin were practically the same person, just in different proportions.

"Does it matter?" Rin batted her eyelashes. "I mean, we're only there to listen to your brother sing, right? The other humans can speculate about us if they want to."

Rin wasn't wrong. But she still felt uneasy about the whole thing – it would draw unnecessary attention. It was too suspicious to have a large group of inhumanly beautiful people gathered together at a concert hall. "I don't know…"

"I'll wear a disguise, even," Rin declared. "I'll make them all wear disguises. Then no one will even realise we're there, right? Miku, _please_. I'm so tired of staying home all the time. It's boring. And I enjoy watching concerts! They're always so fun!"

"You can go to any concert you want, right? Why must you come to this one?" She was genuinely curious. Rin seemed desperate to go, and while Mikuo was a really good singer, it wasn't like the siren knew who he was. It didn't make sense that she was suddenly so invested.

"You said your brother's having a concert, right? Hatsune Mikuo?" Rin asked. She nodded, surprised that Rin knew her brother's name. "Len told me your brother is quite a good composer. And if _Len_ said that, then he has to be great, at least by mortal standards. I want to see the child who could get my brother to praise him!"

She gaped at Len, who stared blankly back at her. "What? I was being honest. You showed me his compositions and they're not half-bad, so I dug around a little. He has a good voice, and he has potential. I think he'll go far if he applies himself."

Len's tone was casual, but Rin clapped her hands and beamed – excitement poured off her in waves, and Miku flinched. "See? Len is usually stingy with compliments, especially when it comes to music, so your brother must be pretty talented. Most of the concerts I've been to are _mediocre_ , so I'm looking forward to this one!"

She felt a little stressed on her brother's behalf. Sirens had gorgeous voices – could a human compete with a mythical being? "I think you might be setting your expectations too high, Rin. Mikuo doesn't exactly have the voice of an angel."

"Oh, I don't think he does, I'm realistic," Rin answered. "But I'm sure his performance would be better than some others I've seen. Besides," she paused, smiling at Miku, "he's your brother. And I'm curious about what your family is like."

It was that last comment that touched her the most, and finally, Miku sighed. "Fine. There probably won't be any trouble even if all of you attend. But I want to say that the concert isn't cheap and I definitely won't be able to afford tickets for everyone."

"Since when was money ever a problem?" Rin answered in a tone so affronted that one would have thought Miku had just insulted her. "Get Len to pay. He has more money than he knows what to do with. Right, Len?" She shot her brother a wink.

Len exhaled. "I'm not a walking bank account, you know. But fine, I'll pay for your tickets." He glanced at her, giving her a wry smile. "I could pay for yours too, but I know you won't let me."

He wasn't wrong. She didn't want to rely on Len's deep pockets. She was going to the concert to support Mikuo and she intended to do that with her own money. "It just doesn't feel right leeching off you, even if you _are_ rich," she explained.

"I wish some other people would feel the same way," Len muttered, shooting his sister a glare. Rin whistled, looking away from her brother, and Miku smiled. Even though they weren't human, that didn't affect the depth of their sibling bond – it was clear that Len and Rin cared for each other, and she thought that was admirable.

She wasn't sure if she'd be able to put up with her brother for thousands of years. When she was still staying at home she could hardly go a week without complaining about him. "Okay, then let's go get the tickets online later," she told Rin.

Rin nodded, and Miku wondered whether there were enough empty seats for all the sirens to sit together. Hopefully so – she _really_ didn't want Rei to be left on his own.


End file.
